Bloodlines (Black Butler) (Sebastian x OC)
by ViviMichaelis
Summary: Sebastian always had an oddly strong bond with the youngest child of the latest generation of Phantomhive children, which is nothing short of confusing for the demon. But after the seemingly-impossible truth surfaces, it all starts making sense...
1. In The Beginning: A Tragedy

**NOTE: I do not own anything related to Black Butler. Credit for that goes to the genius known as Yana Toboso. I only own/created the OCs and story line :)  
**

"We'll be back later this evening." Lady Miranda Phantomhive stated as she entered the foyer, a 2 year old Violet in her arms. Earl Matthew Phantomhive followed, briefcase in hand.

"Sebastian, will you have Mey-Rin bathe Violet? She's gotten into the dirt in the plants again. And please see to it that Charles gets his school work done?" Lady Miranda asked, setting Violet down in front of a pile of wooden blocks and giving her a quick kiss on top of her head.

"Of course, my lady," he responded, helping her into her jacket.

"Where is that kid anyway? I haven't heard a sound from him all morning," Earl Matthew asked no one in particular, setting his fedora atop his head.

"I believe he is in his tree house out back. Would you like me to fetch him?" the butler asked.

"No, no. Just as long as he's in by nightfall." Matthew ruffled Violet's hair as he headed to the door, which Sebastian held open.

Outside, their driver waited beside a black Mercedes. He opened the rear door as the couple approached. Sebastian stood atop the steps to see them off. Violet had abandoned her blocks and made her way out there as well, giggling and waving while her parents got into their vehicle.

"Goodbye dear! Mummy and daddy love you!" Miranda called.

Their car slowly took off and disappeared out of the drive and down the road. Sebastian picked up Violet and went back into the manor.

"Let's go find Mey-Rin, kitten, shall we?" he looked down at the girl, who babbled an unintelligible response and laughed, her silver-gray eyes sparkling. She had dirt smudged in various places on her face. "Precisely." Sebastian smirked and set off to look for the maid.

While he didn't really care for children most of the time, over the course of serving seven generations of Phantomhives, it became easier to tolerate them, at the least. He found their sense of imagination and adventure amusing, even intriguing at times. And though he'd never admit it to anyone, Sebastian actually enjoyed his interactions with the two children of Earl Matthew and Lady Miranda, particularly little Violet.

Charles, a 10 year old boy and protective big brother, was a loner mostly. He often stayed locked away in his room, reading or writing, and liked to isolate himself in his tree house in the back yard. He was also rather fond of science, and spent hours with his chemistry set and microscope.

Violet, being only 2, didn't have any such hobbies, though she did love to hang out with Sebastian. He often carried her around with him as he went about his duties, showing her little trinkets and explaining what stuff was, making up entertaining tales and telling stories of past adventures. He wasn't sure why, but he was quite fond of the child. Perhaps it was just her charming toddler mannerisms, or how her eyes were always filled with wonder and fascination as he spoke to her, as though whatever he was telling her was the most interesting and important information ever... or the way she would smile and run to him in the morning after waking up. Whatever it was, he'd never felt such a connection with any of the children he'd worked for over the many years.

After walking around for a bit, they finally found Mey-Rin stacking some boxes in a closet.

"Mey-Rin, would you tend to Miss Violet please? She's in need of a bath." Sebastian smirked again as he wiped a smudge of dirt off the child's cheek.

"Of course, I'll get the bubbles going!" she answered, blushing and taking Violet from Sebastian before heading down the hall to the bathroom.

* * *

Later that evening, after the kids were bathed and in their night clothes, Charles sat in front of the fireplace with Violet by his side, reading to her. Sebastian stood nearby, while Mey-Rin, Finny, Baldroy, and Tanaka sat in chairs sipping tea, having finished all their chores for the day. Thunder roared and rattled the house, as lightning flashed through the curtains. Rain hammered against the windows, and the wind howled menacingly through the trees.

Suddenly, there was a series of sharp knocks on the door. Sebastian approached it and opened it to find three police officers.

"Pardon the late visit. May we speak to you for a few moments?"

"Of course," Sebastian stepped aside and gestured for the men to enter, closing the door after they were inside. He turned to face them. "What can I help you with?"

The lead officer took a deep breath as they all removed their hats. "There's been an accident involving Earl and Lady Phantomhive."

"Oh?"

Just then, Charles stopped reading and turned his attention to the foyer, as did the others.

"I'm... I'm afraid they've been killed." He held his hat to his chest and bowed his head.

The four servants gasped, while Charles got to his feet and walked over to the policemen.

"It's not true! What a foul thing to say! How dare you come in here and tell such stories!" he growled at them.

The man knelt down and looked at Charles. "I'm sorry son, I wish it weren't true, but-"

"NO! You're wrong! They're not dead!" Tears started streaming down his face as Finny hurried to his side.

"Young master-"

"They're not gone!" he yelled, then took off up the stairs. Finny ran after him.

The head police officer stood and turned back to Sebastian, whose expression remained emotionless as was usual. "I'm truly sorry. Please expect a visit from our Chief tomorrow to go over some things." With that, the men placed their hats back on and left.

Sebastian closed the door behind them and turned towards the parlor again. Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Tanaka stood quietly with mournful expressions on their faces. Violet sat with the book Charles had been reading to her, looking between the three remaining servants and Sebastian. Just as he was wondering if she understood what was going on, Violet got up and ran over to him, arms outstretched. He picked her up and studied her face, noticing her eyes had welled up with tears.

"I suppose it's time for us to turn in for the night," Sebastian said to the others. They silently nodded in agreement and headed to their own quarters. Sebastian brought Violet to her room and put her into her bed. As he was tucking her in, she held her arms out again to him and sniffled as tears streamed from her eyes. Seeing her upset gave Sebastian an odd feeling he could only assume was sadness. If he had a heart, it would be broken.

"Alright. Come here then," he said, picking the girl back up. She clung onto him and rested her head against his chest as he sat down on a big plush chair that faced the window. The rain still pelted against the glass, filling the silence of the night.

Sebastian looked down at the small girl he held in his arms, who stared off blankly, her eyelashes still wet with tears. Slowly, her eyelids grew heavy and would drift shut every now and again.

"Everything is going to be okay," he said softly, placing a hand on her head. "I promise."

After a few more minutes, Violet had fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake her or leave her alone, Sebastian stayed in place through the night.

 ***5 Years old*  
**  
"Sebastian!" Violet exclaimed in her tiny voice, running down the hall to him.

"Little kitten, you're up early," he replied, turning from his dusting, catching her and picking her up. Her long black hair was messy from sleep, and her nightgown terribly wrinkled. "You look like you've been dragged to hell by a most viscous monster." he added in a whisper, running his hand down the mess of hair. She put her hands to her mouth and giggled behind them. It was a bit of an inside joke between them. For, if Lady Carol ever heard it, she would be appalled by such dark humor being shared with such a small child.

"Nope, no monsters from hell," she giggled again.

"Ah, good. I would have to destroy them. Speaking of hell..." he said, still keeping his voice low. He set her down, dug something from his pocket, and knelt to her level. "I brought something back for you from my errands last night. Hold out your hands."

Her eyes shining, Violet held out her hands. Sebastian placed a large black stone in them, which had sparkling cracks of red in it. It was somewhat shaped like a heart. The girl gasped.

"Oh cool! It's so pretty!" She turned it over in her hands in awe, eyes wide. "Thank you Sebastian!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug.

"You're most welcome, Lady Violet," he said, an actual smile on his face. He picked her up again and started back towards her room. "Shall we find Mey-Rin to help you get in order for the day?"

She nodded. "I wanna go put this with the others!"

Once they arrived back to Violet's room, Sebastian went over to the tall shelves that held assorted books and toys. On one of the upper shelves, there was a row of various stones of all shapes and sizes that he had brought back for her over the last couple years. She reached out and placed the newest one right in the middle of all the others.

"There," she said, clasping her hands together, both of them admiring the collection.

Mey-Rin appeared in the doorway. "Lady Violet, let's get you dressed and cleaned up before breakfast, yes!"

Sebastian set the girl down and gave a small bow. "I'll see you in the dining room, Lady Violet." With that, he left Mey-Rin to tend to her.

* * *

 ***14 years old*  
**  
Violet awoke with a start and sat up in her bed. Lightning illuminated the room briefly, followed by a startling crack of thunder. Rain hammered down, leaving no room for quiet. She closed her eyes and focused on slowing her heart, which was pounding in her chest. She'd had another nightmare.

"I wish this would stop already," she mumbled, getting out of bed and quietly opening her door to the hallway. _I'm 14, for god's sake. I shouldn't be afraid of a nightmare._

Tiptoeing through the dark, she shivered. _I wish I'd put my robe on..._ Her oversized black t-shirt slipped down off one shoulder, and her pajama shorts left her legs to the cool night air. _Why does auntie leave the heat off at night?_

Just as she knew she would, she found Sebastian in the study. He looked up as she entered the room.

"Another nightmare, my lady?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, before looking back down at the papers.

"Yes," she sighed, plopping down in an armchair across the desk from him. Lately, this had become her routine. She'd go sit with Sebastian for awhile, eventually falling asleep in the chair as he told her some kind of story. Sebastian would then carry her back to her room after finishing the paperwork, and put her to bed again before continuing his preparations for the following day.

"I can assure you, Miss Violet, whatever it is that troubles you in these nightmares, will never come to be in reality. I promise." he stated. He pretended to be unaware of what she feared the most, but he knew exactly what it was.

"I hope not..." she said quietly, running her hands through her long black hair. She curled up and laid her head against the arm of the chair, feeling better in the presence of Sebastian, as he started in on one of is many tales.

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

Violet had fallen asleep in the chair she was in, as she usually did. I admired her new found sense of calm and turned to the next page of the record book to finish up, only to find a note that had been neatly tucked away between the pages. Curious, I picked it up and opened it.

 ** _Dear Sebastian,_**  
 ** _I've left this note for you in hopes that you will find it on this day. Violet is now 14, and we have been gone for some time. If you haven't figured it out yet, she is marked to be claimed by you. Yes, Matthew and I know about it. Her mark was visible for the first few days of her life before it faded. It will only appear if you touch her skin. It is located on the front of her right shoulder._**  
 ** _Of course, you are aware of our family's bloodlines. Violet is half demon. And sooner or later, she'll realize it when that side of her starts taking over. Carol and Leon are no help in the matter._**  
 ** _You have been a great service to our family, so much better than we could ever have asked for. We wish we could be around to raise Violet knowing what she is, and knowing her family's history. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and we hope you can teach her these things when the time comes. With that, we do have a few final requests for you:_**  
 ** _1) Please wait until Violet is at least 17 before you begin courting her._**  
 ** _2) Don't tell her about the mark (or anything) until the time is right, as mentioned above. We want you both to enjoy your time together as it is before your lives change drastically._**  
 ** _3) We would like it if you wait for her to express her feelings for you first. It's only fair to her that she doesn't feel forced into anything. However, I don't think that will be an issue. We know she adores you, and her feelings will only grow stronger._**  
 ** _Please take good care of our little girl. We know that will be no problem for you though. You both have our blessings as we watch over you._**  
 ** _Love always,_**  
 ** _Matthew and Miranda_**

I folded it back up and set it down. They knew the whole time? And Violet is half demon? How did I ever miss that? Of course, it does make sense... _I could never feel such a connection with a human..._

I sighed and closed the book, tucking the note into my pocket, glancing back over to the sleeping girl. _I wonder..._

I quietly walked over to her, removing my left glove with my teeth. Her shirt had slipped down from her right shoulder, so I placed my ungloved hand on one of her arms and watched. Sure enough, the seal slowly faded in. I moved my hand so my mark was right next to hers and fell to one knee as I stared, not believing my eyes. Even though the Earl and Lady had left the note for me to find, I had to see it for myself.

 _I can't believe it. After all these years... you're finally here... this explains everything... why you've had such a profound effect on me... why we share such a strong bond... my little kitten, my sweet angel..._

"My mate..." I whispered.

 **\- Regular POV -  
**  
"Time to wake up, my lady," Sebastian said as he walked over to the windows.

Violet groaned and opened her eyes as he opened the curtains, letting in the morning sun.

"I kind of insist that you don't do that..." she said as she pulled the covers over her head and rolled over.

"Today's breakfast options are oatmeal with pear and vanilla puree, toast, fruit salad, and fresh wild berry muffins. What would you like?"

"I'd like for you to shut the curtains again and let me go back to sleep," Violet grumbled, nonetheless sitting up and rubbing her eyes. It was a useless battle.

"I'm truly sorry, but you must get up. You've got a History lesson in an hour, then your friends will be arriving at noon as you planned. Now, what can I get you for breakfast?"

"Fruit salad, I guess..."

"Here you go, my lady." Sebastian set a tray on her lap that held a bowl of various cubed and sliced fruits. He then proceeded to prepare tea.

Violet yawned and looked at the clock. 8am.

 _Bedtime is so far away..._

 **-4 hours later-  
**  
Violet sat on the front steps, waiting for her friends. Her history lesson had been a bore as usual... she was surprised she managed to stay awake.

Just then, she heard a car approaching. It pulled up in front of her, let her three friends out, and left again.  
"Vi!" her friend Abby exclaimed. She and her other friends, Tyler and James, ran over.

"Hey guys," Violet said, giving a lazy wave and standing up.

"You look tired," James said. "Are you still having those nightmares?"

"Yeh..." she replied, yawning for the millionth time. "But forget that. Let's hit the ramps. That'll wake me up."

Violet picked up her skateboard and headed around the side of the house, the others following with their boards. As they neared the skate ramp, Sebastian walked out the side door with a tray of tea.

"Welcome back, Abby, James, Tyler," he said, setting the tray down on the table near the ramp. "I've taken the liberty of bringing refreshments for you and your guests, Miss Violet."

"Thanks Sebastian," she smiled.

She walked over to the ramp to join her friends as Sebastian started walking back to the door.

"I don't care what you say, your butler gives me the creeps..." Abby said quietly.

"He's not creepy! He's the best!" Violet paused. "He's pretty hot too..." she added, immediately gasping and covering her mouth with her hand, face reddening.

Lately, she'd been having strange feelings about Sebastian. Like a crush, but different. She knew about crushes... she'd had one on James for awhile.

Noticing Abby's expression, to avoid any further questions and such, Violet dropped in on the ramp for a run. This was definitely different, something she couldn't even sum up in her own mind, let alone in words to her best friend.

She was clueless that Sebastian had still managed to hear her... he smirked as he went through the door into the house.

 **-THAT NIGHT-  
**  
Violet laid in bed staring up at the ceiling, feeling restless. She was thinking about how she'd confessed her attraction to Sebastian to Abby earlier that day.

 _Why have I been feeling this way about him...?_ she wondered. _How does this just happen? This is weird..._  
With many more thoughts, Violet drifted off into a dream-filled slumber.


	2. Confessions

***16 years old*  
**  
Violet collapsed onto her bed and let her many shopping bags fall to the floor. She'd been out all day shopping with her aunt, and was exhausted.

"Ah, I see you're finally back," came Sebastian's voice.

Violet sat up to see him standing in the doorway. She got up and threw her arms around him in a hug.

"I missed you." she said. It had only been for the day, but she was used to having him by her side at all times, if not too far from it.

"Really? You missed me, a mere butler?" he asked sheepishly, returning the hug. He had to be careful not to let on how much he was enjoying having her in his arms... he breathed in, noticing the sweet scent of peach and cherry blossom on her hair. _Simply intoxicating..._

At that moment, Sebastian caught a glance of Violet's aunt, Lady Carol, paused as she had been walking by the door. She wore a frown on her face at the sight of how close the two were before storming off. He couldn't help but to smirk at this.

 **-Some days later-  
**  
Violet woke up, feeling as though something was off, and looked at the clock. _9:05?!_ She and Sebastian had plans to go into town that day to meet Abby, James, and Tyler. _Why didn't he wake me up by now?_ She got up and quickly got ready for the day, putting on a simple black fitted shirt, black mini skirt, and boots.

"Sebastian!" she called, sprinting down the hall.

"Violet, please come into the study," she heard her aunt call.

As she got closer, she heard voices speaking quietly.

"... find a suitor..." "... that Bradford boy..." "... of the highest nobility...".

She walked in to see her aunt and uncle sitting on the sofa.

"Please sit down," her aunt instructed, gesturing to an empty chair across from them.

She sat down and looked between the two of them. "Well? What's up?"

Aunt Carol spoke first. "We believe it is time for you to begin the process of finding a nice gentleman to settle down with and marry," she said.

Violet snorted and laughed. "What? No way."

"Violet... it is typical that women of your age and social status marry early and take on a higher responsibility to carry on the family's name. And you being a Phantomhive is no exception. In fact, it's just the opposite." her uncle Leon stated.

"We already have the perfect prospect, and I've arranged a nice picnic on the banks for this weekend to give you the opportunity to get to know each other. Lord Michael Bradford of Bradford estates said his son Ian is looking to settle down with a nice young lady."

"You're kidding me, right? Please tell me you aren't serious-"

"I don't see how this could possibly resemble a joke. Ian's family is the most highly regarded in our social ranks, and with your name being what it already is, it's a perfect match."

 _I can't fucking believe this shit..._ thought Violet, as she stared at her aunt in disbelief.

"Ian?! The boy I used to ride bikes with when I was little?!"

"Yes, that boy! See? I knew you would change your mind once you remembered." her aunt smiled.

"Then it's settled," said her uncle. "Social picnic this weekend, then we will proceed with talks of courtship." He got up and headed over to his desk.

"But I don't-"

"Also, dear, I've contacted Virginia, she'll be out to take your measurements this afternoon. I've asked her to create a new wardrobe of proper clothing for you. That... black stuff... is horrid, no way for a soon betrothed woman to dress." With that, Aunt Carol got up and left the room.

Violet's head spun as she sat there, speechless. _Courtship? Betrothed? Is this actually happening?_

 **-Sebastian's POV-  
**  
I stood outside the door to the study, holding a tea tray to gather empty cups. Having been ordered not to wake Violet that morning, I'd been doing odd tasks around the manor. I stopped to listen to the conversation so as not to interrupt, as I'd caught a few words of interest.

"Violet... it is typical that women of your age and social status marry early and take on a higher responsibility to carry on the family's name..."

I immediately felt anger and jealousy boiling in my chest.

"... Lord Michael Bradford of Bradford estates said his son Ian is looking to settle down with a nice young lady."

 _Violet is_ _ **mine**_ _, and they're trying to marry her off to some royal sod?!_

My eyes ablaze and fangs bared, I gripped the silver tray as my anger began to overpower me.

"Then it's settled. Social picnic this weekend, then we will proceed with talks of courtship."

I felt a low growl escape me. _She's mine... I will not allow a filthy human to befoul her with his wretched touch._

The tray snapped clean in half and fell to the ground as I turned and flew down the stairs and out the door, straight into the surrounding forest, before my temper flared up and I did some damage to the house... or to the two people in it who were trying to take my mate from me. Once I was a few miles out, I split and shredded several trees as my rage spilled over.

 **CRASH! SNAP! CRASH! CRACK!**

My hands were balled up in fists, hair disheveled, a few tattered rips in my tailcoat. I stood still, breathing heavily, as the ground stopped shaking.

 _I don't care what I have to do. That Bradford brat will not be courting Violet._

* * *

It was the day of the picnic. Virginia was helping Violet dress "properly" in a light blue dress with black trim, a gold necklace, earring, and bracelet set, and hair tied up neatly at the back of her head.

"Stand up straight, now. There! Perfect fit, eh?" said Virginia, standing back to admire her work.

Violet felt tears burning in her eyes as she studied herself in the mirror, standing straight and proper. _This isn't me..._

 **-Meanwhile, downstairs-**

"Sebastian, I'd like for you to run some errands for me today." stated Carol, handing him a rather long list.

"But I am to escort Lady Violet-"

"You are to run these errands for me and leave Lady Violet to us." she replied sternly.

Sebastian frowned, but looked over the list before replying "Of course." With that, he turned and left.

Just as the door had shut behind him, Violet appeared at the top of the steps and started tromping down, rather annoyed. Once she got to the bottom, her aunt rushed over.

"Oh! Don't you look lovely! Virginia is a miracle worker." Carol exclaimed.

Violet just stood there, staring angrily. Before her aunt could yell at her for it, they heard a car pull up. Tanaka opened the front door, revealing Mr. Bradford, along with his wife, and Ian, who had grown into a relatively handsome young man since she had seen him last.

 _Not near as handsome as Sebastian_ , she thought to herself.

"Welcome, welcome! Please, come in!" Carol ushered them in, and Tanaka closed the door behind them. "Violet, dear, come and say hello to Ian!"

Violet slowly stepped forward, anger still visible on her face. She ignored her aunt's stern looks at her as Ian spoke.

"Lady Violet Phantomhive, it is such a pleasure to finally be graced by your presence again," he stated, smiling as he pulled one of her hands up and placed a kiss on top if it. "It has been many years."

She subtly glared and pulled her hand back. _This is gonna be a day from hell..._

 **-Later that night-  
**  
Sebastian had been missing all day. It wasn't like him at all. So in addition to her disdain towards her aunt and uncle, disgust at the arrangement made, and hatred towards Ian, Violet was now severely anxious and worried. _I just can't deny it anymore... I really_ _ **do**_ _love Sebastian..._

She sat at the very far edge of the garden, which had a terrace overlooking some open land before the wall that secured the property. In the distance, the cloudless sky, millions of stars, and the large, full moon. Accompanying her were several bottles of beer and a half bottle of red wine. A few empty beer bottles already lay broken below the terrace, where she had thrown them in anger. _He's a butler though... my butler. Everyone would go apeshit if it was known how I feel about him... besides, he doesn't really care about me... he's just paid to act like he does..._ That last thought made her heart hurt.

"Happy birthday to me," she mumbled, looking down at her phone. It was now midnight, officially July 19th. "17 oughta be thrilling..." Violet chugged the remaining beer in the bottle she held, then tossed it down. It shattered below, adding to the pile that was already there. _Sebastian would never want anything to do with a dumb kid like me..._ she continued, making herself feel worse. Tears stung in her eyes as she imagined him rejecting her and laughing in her face. _He'd never love me like I love him..._ A single tear slid down her cheek. _He probably just sees me as some spoiled brat he has to work for._

Just as she was opening another bottle, she heard footsteps from behind her. _Oh great, now I'm gonna be busted by Carol._ "Why are you still awake at this hour? And why are you wearing those awful black clothes again? Why do you insist on wearing so much black makeup around your eyes?!" she'd say. Turning around, ready to argue, she instead saw Sebastian approaching.

"Oh my god. Where have you been?!" she stood up, having a bit of trouble due to being significantly buzzed. She took a few steps toward him and stumbled, clearly more drunk than she thought. In a flash, Sebastian was next to her, helping steady her.

"Lady Violet, are you drinking?" he asked, observing the bottles, her stumbling and slurring, and the smell on her breath. He also noticed her eyes were wet like she had been crying.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she said, brushing him off and turning away to wipe her cheeks.

He sighed and took the bottle out of her hand. "What is troubling you?"

"You had me worried. Where were you?" she pouted.

"I was under strict instruction by your aunt to be absent for the day while you socialized with Ian. She sent me on an assortment of time-consuming errands. But I know that is not the only thing on your mind." he replied.

"What? She told you to leave for the day? What a bitch! Urghhh... why do they insist that I marry that pompous asshole? He's such a tart. I don't wanna be stuck with that... today was a disaster! All he talked about was how rich his family is, how everyone admires them, how internationally prominent and respected they are... he's so arrogant! That's not the life I want!" Violet took the bottle back from Sebastian and took a large angry chug, before he quickly took it out of her hands again.

She spun around in place a few times while looking up at the stars. "I wish I could just get lost in the stars and never come back to earth." With that, she teetered to one side, Sebastian catching her.

"Do you think you could grow to love him?" Sebastian asked out of genuine curiosity, looking down at her.

"Hell no. I'd sooner chop my own head off. Besides... I already love someone..." she trailed off, gripping his arms to get her footing and staring beyond him into the open field.

"Oh really? Who?" Sebastian already knew very well who she meant. He'd sensed it since she was 14. He had to fight particularly hard to keep a smirk off his face.

 _I guess it's now or never... at least I'm drunk. Maybe rejection won't hurt as much as I think it will, in this state..._ Violet thought.

She was silent for a few seconds before finally looking up into his eyes and quietly replying "You."

They stood quietly for a few seconds. _Oh my god, why did I say that..._ she thought, studying his unchanged expression. _He probably thinks I'm such an idiot._

His next action took her by surprise. Sebastian placed his left hand on her cheek, brushing her hair away from her eyes. His expression actually looked... softer? "Happy 17th birthday, kitten..." he whispered, slowly leaning in.

Violet felt her face grow hot as he moved closer. Her mind had gone blank, her knees felt weak... she stood frozen, still gripping his arms, as she closed her eyes at the last second and felt his soft lips meet hers.

 **\- Sebastian's POV-  
**  
I'd been waiting so long to hear her confession. And perfectly timed... I thought back to the letter Earl and Lady had left.

 ** _Please wait until Violet is at least 17 before you begin courting her._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _We would like it if you wait for her to express her feelings for you first._**

Happy that both conditions had been fulfilled, I pressed my lips to hers in what could only be described as the most satisfying kiss of my existence. I felt her grip tighten around my arms, and couldn't help but to assume she felt the same way.

 _Sorry, Ian, your services will no longer be required here._ I smirked through locked lips as I lowered my hand from Violet's cheek and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer. _Mine._ I deepened the kiss, causing a small moan to escape Violet while she wrapped her own arms around my neck.

After a few more minutes, I pulled away and looked down at her. Her cheeks were red, her eyes dazed... but she finally looked at ease. Without a word, I picked her up bridal style and carried her into the manor and up to her room.


	3. Birthday Disaster

*** The following chapter contains sexually explicit activity. I probably won't post this notice again, since this story IS rated M :) ***

Violet opened her eyes to the sun shining through her windows. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed Sebastian was sitting next to her bed, reading. He looked up and smiled.

"Good morning, my lady," he said, standing up and going to the door, wheeling the service cart in, which contained a covered silver tray and tea stuff. "I've prepared a special birthday breakfast for you this morning. Your aunt and uncle have gone to town for a business meeting. They will return later this evening for your birthday celebration. The other servants are in the back yard preparing for it."

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, smudging black all over her hands. _Great, I probably look like such a mess..._

Sebastian placed the tray in her lap and uncovered it, revealing French toast topped with whipped cream, bacon on the side, eggs, and fruit salad. He then began preparing tea.

"Oh wow... this looks great! Thanks Sebastian." she said, realizing she was extremely hungover and hungry.

"Anything for you, my lady," he said, setting a cup of tea down on the tray. Then he handed her a small white pill. "I also thought you may need this, if you're hungover."

Violet took the medicine, then began eating as Sebastian ran a bath for her and laid out her clothes for the day. After she was done, she put the tray back on the cart and went over to the full length mirror to assess the damage of last night's drinking binge. _Huh. I feel worse than I look, I guess. I definitely don't feel 17 though..._

Just then, Sebastian walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I trust you remember our little 'discussion' last night in the garden?" he said quietly into her ear, before moving down and lightly kissing her neck. This caused goosebumps to flare up all over her skin.

"Of... of course I do," she said, feeling her knees getting weak as they had when his lips had touched hers for the first time last night.

"Good," he growled seductively. Then his tone changed back to it's usual as he stepped back. "I've prepared a bath for you, it's ready when you are."

 _What a tease_ , Violet thought to herself as she gained her composure and gave him a look that said what she'd thought. He just smirked.

"Call me in when you would like me to help you," he said, pushing the cart out the door into the hallway.

She headed into the bathroom, undressed and slipped into the hot water. It was full of rose scented bubbles.

 _This is amazing. He knows exactly what I like._

After about 20 minutes of relaxing, she decided she better get washed. She cleaned herself up and wrapped a towel around her body before getting back in the water and calling for Sebastian. He often helped her wash her hair.

"I almost thought you'd fallen asleep in here," he said, sounding amused as he came in.

"Glad I know you'd come save me from drowning myself if I had," she shot back.

He chuckled and sat on the stool that was next to the tub, removing his gloves and rolling up his sleeves. "Had I sensed that you were in danger, I would have saved you." He picked up the bath sponge from the ledge and soaked it, moved her hair to one side, then began softly washing her back.

"Mmmm, Sebastian," Violet moaned. "That feels great..."

He felt a jolt go through him at the sound of her moaning his name like that. It made his thoughts drift... elsewhere. Nonetheless, he finished up and instructed her to lay back so he could work on her hair. She did so, careful to keep herself covered by the towel around her.

"My, your hair... it looks like you've been dragged to hell by a most vicious monster," he chuckled as he gathered her hair and held it up, making her giggle. He couldn't help but to eye the tops of her plump breasts, barely covered by the water, even though they were mostly hidden by the towel. He felt another, more powerful jolt go through him.

At that point, Sebastian set her hair back down and began running his hands over her shoulders. He noticed their mark on her right one, just barely visible above the water. He leaned down to her ear and nibbled on it, his breathing slightly heavy. Violet gasped and tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck. He took that opportunity to run the tip of his tongue down from her ear, then began sucking and kissing down her neck to her shoulder.

"Sebastian..." she sighed, reaching one arm up to pull him til their lips met.

His tongue explored her mouth and entangled with her tongue as his hands moved down over the towel that covered her breasts. Slowly, he slipped it lower until they were exposed. He took one in each hand and squeezed, then circled around her nipples before grasping them between his fingers.

She moaned into the kiss, and he felt her shiver. An intense jolt ran through him once again at the sound of her moans, and he pulled his head back from the kiss.

Sebastian let his right hand travel even lower, sliding down her stomach towards her delicate center, while his other hand tilted her head to the side. He leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"I love hearing you moan like that, kitten," he growled, his right hand now running along her inner thighs. "I wonder what other sounds I can get you to make..." He moved his fingers to her sensitive folds and rubbed in slow circles, feeling her body tense up under his touch. He started going a bit faster, which evoked a gasp from his little mate and caused her to slip down the back of the tub a bit.

With that, Sebastian put his left arm across her chest, pulling her back up and holding her in place. He moved his fingers down to her tight opening and slid two of them inside, while still working her clit with his thumb. Violet grasped his arms and whimpered as she felt a knot forming in her abdominal area.

"Se-Sebastian..." she choked out, looking up into his eyes.

"Yes, my love?" he responded, grinning seductively while he continued thrusting his fingers into her. Even under the water, he could feel her juices gushing out around his hand.

"Mmm... I- I think I'm gonna-" she gasped breathlessly.

"So quickly?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Her next moan confirmed this. He caught her lips with his and kissed her deeply, then moved down to her neck and sunk his fangs into her flesh as she tightened around his fingers and trembled, her nails digging into his arms.

"Ah- oh god, Sebastian!" she cried, the knot in her abdomen exploding, sending intense waves throughout her entire body.

Sebastian licked the blood dripping down her neck, and the holes where his fangs had penetrated her skin, which healed immediately. He realized he'd slipped up with that, considering she was still unaware of what he truly was... and what she HERSELF truly was, for that matter. He silently hoped she'd been too caught up in the moment to realize what had happened.

He removed his fingers from her trembling body and cupped her face in his hands, planting a kiss on her forehead. Violet breathed heavily as she placed her hands over his, looking up into his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it again.

"Now... let's get your hair washed so you can get ready for the party," Sebastian said. He sensed what she had been about to say, so he didn't press on, just silently agreed. _I love you too, darling.  
_

* * *

It was early evening. Everyone was gathered in the back yard for Violet's birthday party. About two-hundred guests had showed up, among them Abby, James, and Tyler.

Violet stared out her window overlooking the yard, not particularly excited to be surrounded by so many people. She spotted Ian and his parents conversing with Aunt Carol, who looked absolutely beside herself with joy. Violet rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe they invited the Bradfords..." she sighed.

"Considering your aunt still thinks you two will be married, it only seems logical." Sebastian stated, buttoning the last button on the back of her dress.

"About that..." she said, walking over to the mirror to look herself over. "When do you suppose I should break the news? Surely I can't allow her to carry on the illusion that she'll be getting what she wants." She studied the lavender dress Carol had put out for her. It had a darker lavender trim, with ribbons of the same color criss-crossed up the front. She cringed and turned to Sebastian. "Besides, I don't know how much longer I can take this crap."

Sebastian approached her and took both of her hands in his. "Just hold it out a little while longer, my love. Soon enough, it'll all be over." He gave her a quick kiss and held out his arm. "Now, I believe I must escort you down to your party before everyone starts to wonder where you are."

Violet took his arm and smiled a bit. "I suppose you're right."

They went down to the back yard, where everyone turned to look when she entered the crowd. Several people said "happy birthday" as she was led to the head table where her aunt and uncle stood proudly, the Bradfords nearby.

"Ah, the birthday girl has finally arrived!" her aunt cried, running over and pulling her from Sebastian's side up to the table. Violet looked back sadly as Sebastian retreated to the sidelines with Tanaka, Baldroy, Finny, and Mey-Rin.

After about an hour of mingling with guests and taking photos, Violet was finally able to escape her aunt's grasps and find Abby, Tyler and James.

"Happy birthday, Vi!" they all exclaimed excitedly.

"Thanks guys," she replied.

"So are you excited to almost be an adult?" James asked.

"Do you get to stay out later now?" asked Tyler.

"Is it true that you're gonna marry Ian?" Abby squealed.

At that question, Violet grabbed Abby and turned to the other two. "Could you give us a little bit? Girl talk..." She pulled Abby away to the garden, where they could talk privately.

"What's up Vi?" she asked, concern spreading across her face.

"I'm absolutely not marrying Ian." Violet replied.

"But your aunt said-"

"My aunt is delusional. She thinks I can't think for myself. She's more worried about social status than human emotion. It won't be long before she gets the disappointment of her life."

"What do you mean?" Abby asked, wide-eyed.

"I... I'm already in love with someone."

"Who is it? Who?!" Abby was practically jumping up and down.

"It's... Sebastian." Violet said quietly.

Abby stopped dead. "Are you still crushing on him? Vi, he's your butler... I don't think he would go for that."

"Oh really?" she replied. She proceeded to tell her everything that had happened since midnight last night.

"Oh my GOD, you're DATING your BUTLER-"

Violet clapped her hand over Abby's mouth. "Jesus christ, Abby, could you say that a little louder?! Yes! I am dating Sebastian!" she whispered loudly, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear. She removed her hand from Abby's mouth. Abby stood there, eyes wide again.

"Who else knows?"

"No one. And it has to stay that way for a little while until the time is right."

Abby finally relaxed and became casual again. "Man, your aunt and uncle are gonna flip shit when they find out..."

"Well, that's their own problem. I'm not gonna force away my feelings just because it's 'socially unacceptable'... and I'm sure as hell not marrying that scumbag Ian..."

Just then, her aunt called out from nearby. "Violet! Violet sweety, come now! It's time to make a toast!"

"Come on... and remember, not a word to ANYONE! Not even Tyler and James."

Abby held up her hand. "I promise."

They headed back out into the crowd for the toast her aunt insisted on making.

* * *

 ***CLANG CLANG CLANG***

"May I have your attention, everyone?"

The guests all quieted down and turned to aunt Carol, who was standing atop a chair, a champagne flute in one hand, a butter knife in the other.

"Thank you. We want to thank you for coming to Violet's birthday. Your presence on her special day means the world to us." She turned to Violet. "Violet, we've got a couple surprises for you. First, as you know, we believe an education is the most important thing for a woman to have. We'd like to announce that we've gotten you a spot at the prestigious St. Allen's Academy for women." A smattering of applause erupted then fell before she continued. "Second... well, Ian, why don't you take over from here." Her aunt stepped down from the chair and backed up with the rest of the crowd as Ian approached and stood in front of Violet.

 _Oh god, no..._

"Violet, we've been friends since we were kids." _What a crock of shit._ "It has been such an honor. The picnic yesterday got me really thinking though..." he presented a small box and got down on one knee. _Oh please, for the love of fucking god, no..._ "It would be even more of an honor to call you my wife." He opened the box, revealing a massive diamond ring. "Would you do me that honor, Violet Phantomhive?"

Violet stood there for a few moments, speechless. She glanced at her aunt, who nodded and mouthed "yes". _This is way too much..._

Violet shook her head. "No..." she said quietly.

A few people gasped, her aunt hurried forward and stood between the two, as Ian got up, looking dumbfounded.

"Of course, she will, she's just overwhelmed," her aunt said, a hand on her shoulder, and a hand on Ian's. She shot Violet a look. "Right Violet?"

Violet finally found her voice as anger rose up in her chest. "No, aunt Carol, I will not. I have no interest in pursuing Ian in that manner, as I have stated before." More people gasped and mumbled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" her aunt hissed, trying to keep quiet so no one could hear. "You're embarrassing us and yourself!"

"No, YOU'RE embarrassing YOURSELF. I'm not marrying that pretentious sod. You care so much about social status and what people will think. Well, I don't! I don't love Ian. I'm in love with someone else."

A collective gasp could be heard throughout the yard. Violet turned to leave, but her uncle grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think you're going? You get over here and apologize to your aunt and accept Ian's proposal!"

Violet tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. Her anger started rising to new levels she never thought possible. Just as she thought she was about to blow up, Sebastian appeared by her side.

"Excuse me, I'd appreciate it if you removed your hand from Lady Violet," he said casually.

"Piss off, butler! This doesn't concern you!" spat her uncle, gripping even tighter.

"I shall ask only once more... unhand my mate." he said more sternly now.

By this time, the onlookers were starting to back away and leave, whispering as they did so. "Did he say mate?" "What did he call her?" "Isn't that her butler, though?"

"Mate? You're a bit gone, aren't ya?" her uncle laughed.

Suddenly, a darkness spread throughout the now-empty yard. Sebastian's eyes blazed to a magenta glow, the pupils turning to slits. Fangs protruded from under his lip. Black feathers started falling everywhere.

"It's a shame you didn't listen to me the first two times..." he said, his voice taking on an evil growl. "You of all people should know how territorial we demons are when it comes to our mates, Leon. I'd really hate to turn you in to Lucifer for disobeying your superior's orders."

"Go ahead! You're not supposed to interfere with our wishes for Violet, you're in breach of your end of the contract!"

"I'm afraid that contract has expired, as of last night."

Uncle Leon's eyes grew wide as he growled, letting go of her arm and backing up some. Violet looked wide-eyed between him and Sebastian. _What is...? Why would...? Who...?_ She couldn't handle anymore. It was all too overwhelming. Her vision became blurry, then she fell into darkness.


	4. Revelations I

*** Just wanted to note that I just started working on a second BB fanfic with Sebastian x OC, but I probably won't post it until I have several chapters written, as I am doing with this one! Managing multiple stories is a bit difficult, so I don't want to get too overloaded. ***

Opening her eyes, Violet came to and realized she was laying in her bed. Mey-Rin was placing a cool cloth on her forehead.

"Miss Violet, you're awake. How do you feel?" she asked quietly.

"I don't... I don't know," she said, trying to sit up. Mey-Rin gently pushed her back down.

"Please stay in bed, my lady. I'll go let everyone know you're awake."

She rushed out the door, leaving Violet alone.

 _Everyone? Please don't tell me everyone from the party is still here._

A short time later, she heard footsteps approaching. Sebastian entered alone, shutting the door behind him.

"My love... how are you feeling?" he asked, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"Drained. Confused. Scared... what happened earlier? You said... then uncle Leon..."

"Shhh..." He placed a finger to her lips. "Everything will be discussed tomorrow. For now, I want you to get your rest."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course, kitten" Sebastian replied, laying down next to Violet and putting his arms around her. She cuddled up to him, feeling better having him so close. Sleep overtook her soon enough, where she had pleasant dreams of the very man that held her.

* * *

The next day, after Sebastian had served her breakfast, and she'd gotten cleaned up and dressed, Violet was called into the study by her aunt and uncle. She stood hesitantly in the doorway.

"Eh... what's this about? Because last time I was called in here, I was being pawned off to some-" she stopped short when she noticed Sebastian was in there as well. Feeling a bit better about the situation, she walked in and took a seat across from Leon and Carol. Sebastian moved to stand next to her.

"Violet... we have a lot to discuss. First, we want to apologize for being so adamant on trying to make you marry Ian," her uncle started.

She sat there, shocked and speechless. _They're actually apologizing?!_

"We were only doing that to try to protect you. But, after last night, we realized we were wrong."

She didn't know what to say, so she just nodded. Her uncle continued.

"As you may know by now-"

Violet saw Sebastian shake his head out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh... well, don't know then... there are certain traits that run in the Phantomhive bloodline, which are inherited through generations. Naturally, you have inherited these traits as well..." Leon faltered. "Uh..."

"Violet, you are a demon." her aunt finished. "Or specifically, half demon."

"Y-yes, that is correct. And as you saw last night, your butler-" Sebastian glared at him"- er, mate- is a demon as well... a very powerful one, at that."

"What about you?" Violet asked. "Are you and aunt Carol...?"

"We are. But, since taking you and Charles in, we have worked hard to try and repress that side of us. We wanted you to have as normal of a life as possible. Unfortunately, it just wasn't in the cards."

"All we thought, dear, is if we kept this from you, you would never be exposed to it, and never have to face the dangers that come along with it. That is how your parents were killed-" stated aunt Carol.

Suddenly, Sebastian slammed his fist down on the table that separated the pairs. "Don't... lie." he growled.

"It's true! The dopes, they got mixed up with the wrong trade, down there! They were lured into working for that bastard-" uncle Leon spat, shooting up out of his seat.

Violet's blood immediately hit a boiling point after hearing him say that. Before she or Sebastian could react, a voice spoke from the doorway.

"How dare you speak of our mother and father like that," it growled.

Violet turned to see who the voice belonged to. She saw Charles standing there, eyes glowing a bright red.

 _So... he's a demon too?_

"Charles! What a wonderful-" uncle Leon started.

"Violet, I apologize for missing your birthday party. My schedule has been rather full. I was tending to some matters in the underworld, when I heard what happened last night. I decided to push my visit up." Charles said, approaching where they all sat/stood and giving Violet a quick hug. He sat down in the empty chair next to her and addressed their aunt and uncle. "Now, if we are to continue telling her everything, leave your lies and foul opinions of our parents out of it."

Leon sighed. "Very well... as I'd been saying, we'd hoped it would keep you safe from all the dangers one could face. But it turns out, all we have been doing is hurting you. You've been in good hands your whole life, with Sebastian by your side. And we know that he'll continue to protect you even after you fully transform-"

"Transform?" Violet interrupted.

"Once Sebastian..." Leon trailed off and looked to Sebastian questioningly. Sebastian just shook his head again. "You've told her nothing yet about anything? Bloody hell, and you called yourself a loyal servant of Earl Matthew and Lady Miranda? They'd want her to know everything!"

"And I've done nothing but follow their orders, Leon." Sebastian said smugly, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to Leon.

He read it, Carol reading over his shoulder, then cleared his throat and handed it back to Sebastian.

"Right... well, those are matters for you to discuss with Violet between you two. As for our part... we also must make it known now, that... we are not your aunt and uncle, as you were raised to think." Leon looked a bit worried as he exchanged a glance with Carol.

"Uhhh... okay, so... who are you then?" Violet asked, feeling slightly freaked out.

"We are actually your great great grandparents from your father's side." Carol said matter-of-factly.

"How-? Oh right... the demon thing..." Violet rubbed he sides of her head, trying to process everything.

"Yes. I think we will leave it at that for now... I believe there are some things Sebastian would like to explain as well, just the two of you." Leon stood, followed by Carol. "Charles, would you like to take tea in the sun room?"

"Very well." he replied, standing and heading towards the door. "Violet, we can catch up later."

The three left the room, leaving Violet with Sebastian. She stood and turned to him.

"I'm still really confused... and you have more to tell me?"

"Yes. Let us go to the garden. Perhaps it will be a more relaxing environment during this discussion," he said, holding his arm out. Violet took it and they made their way to the back yard.

* * *

"I've been feeling oddly overwhelmed when I get angry or upset... like I might explode. It just builds up and doesn't stop. I guess it makes sense now..." Violet said, as she and Sebastian sat at the terrace at the far back edge of the garden, his arm around her. "If you hadn't stepped in last night when unc- eh, Leon, wouldn't let me go, I don't know what might have happened."

"Not to worry, I'll help you get a hold on your emotions. We'll also work on your other abilities."

"Which are...?"

"Unknown still. That will be determined once we begin training." Sebastian said.

Violet was quiet for a moment. "What does that note say that you handed to him to read?" she asked curiously.

He pulled the note from his pocket again and handed it over to her. After reading it, she gave it back and looked down at her hands. "Marked... everyone knew. How long have you known?" she asked, sounding... disappointed?

"I found out when I found this very note tucked away in the records book. Before then, I was clueless. My love... does any of this change your feelings about me...?" he asked, sounding worried.

"No no no, Sebastian. Not at all." She took his hands in hers and brought them up to her lips. "I just... I worry that it's YOU who... that maybe YOU feel like you've had no choice in this..." She lightly kissed his hands. "Maybe I'm not what you want... what if I'm not demon material..." she said quietly.

Now Sebastian took her hands in his and pulled her close. "Not demon material? Kitten... we've been connected through the bond of our marks since the day you were born. When I first laid eyes on you, held you... I felt like there was a weight lifted off my shoulders, like I suddenly had more of a purpose beyond being a butler. Even though I didn't know about it until you were 14, you and I were always close, and I never understood why until then. I served seven generations of your family, never giving a second thought to ever finding my mate. Then it happened. You have such a powerful hold on me, unlike anything I've ever imagined. I know it seems strange to you, because you only know of the love in human terms... just as one must wait until they find the right person to marry, demons must wait until they find their marked mates. I assure you, there are never any feelings of being trapped or forced into anything." he finished, staring deeply into her eyes. "We are marked this way for a reason."

Violet felt tears in her eyes at his words. She also felt relieved, at ease, and... happy. Sensing this, Sebastian pulled her into his arms, and she held on to him tightly.

"I love you, Sebastian Michaelis..." she said, brushing her lips across his neck.

"And I love you, Violet Phantomhive," he responded, kissing the top of her head.

They sat quietly like this for a few minutes, watching the wind blow through the long grasses and flowers.

"Uhm... so this transformation thing... what does that mean?" Violet spoke again.

"Once I claim you, you'll become a full-blooded demon." Sebastian replied.

"Oh..." she sat up and looked at him eagerly. "When can we do that?"

He chuckled. "Soon enough, love. You must complete your training first. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've seen fresh-blood demons running rampant in a wake of destruction because they did not get their half-blood powers under control first."

With that, he stood up and pulled Violet to her feet as well.

"Perhaps we should get you inside and begin preparations for bed." he stated, leading her towards the house.

"But Sebastian, it's still light out..." she said, looking up at the sky.

"Training starts at 3am sharp."

"3am-! Seriously-?"

"Yes. Seriously." he looked back and smirked.

 _Glad to see he hasn't let our love get in the way of his strict tutor role,_ Violet thought, rolling her eyes.

Once they were in her room, Violet went behind her changing screen and changed into a short black silk nightgown while Sebastian prepared her bed for her. As she walked out from behind it, he couldn't help but to look her up and down, a mischievous grin on his face.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to tease me," he growled, stepping closer to her and grabbing her hips while backing her up against the wall.

"Who, me? I'd never," she purred into his ear.

Sebastian pinned her arms above her head and pressed his body against hers. She felt his stiffening excitement through his pants. A low growl escaped him as he undid the top few buttons of her nightgown, causing her breasts to pop out over the top of it. Keeping her hands pinned above her, he ran his tongue around her nipples before taking one into his mouth and lightly grazing his teeth over it, his free hand exploring her inner thighs.

Violet sighed and shook slightly, feeling herself becoming warm and wet near where his hand ventured. Sebastian picked her up and laid her on her bed, climbing on top of her.

"Now..." he said softly, his face only an inch or so from hers. "Get some sleep. You'll need your energy tomorrow."

With that, he got up and looked down, thoroughly amused, at her blushing face. _He really just did that for the fun of it?_

"And you call me a tease..." she glared, getting situated and pulling the covers over herself.

He bent down and tucked her in, smirking devilishly.

"As badly as I would like to defile you right here, right now, I'm afraid you'll need the ability to walk for your training, my love."

He gave her a kiss and walked towards the door, turning out the light. "Goodnight, kitten. I shall be making preparations for the morning." He paused. "Besides, I'd rather wait until we are alone to ravish your body... no telling what sounds I'll have you making then." With that, he left.

 _Damn him,_ Violet smirked as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep, relaxing sleep, trying to ignore the heated desire she still felt between her legs.

 **-Sebastian's POV-  
**  
I had to resist the urge to sink my fangs into her neck again. I didn't want the transformation to begin before she even got a grasp on the half-blood side she already has. Thankfully, the one slip up from the morning before was too weak and unfocused to do much.

 _Nonetheless, the process has begun._

I started down the hall to begin preparing for Violet's training.

 **** More secrets and revelations to come! :o ****


	5. Seduction

**Sorry for the delay, had a long work week. Now I'm off for three days, so I'll be working on this most of the time! Thanks for the follows/favorites and review! :)**

 ***** UPCOMING LEMON WARNING! *****

The next morning, Violet and Sebastian stood in the middle of the open field below the terrace. For the first couple hours, he'd tested her on a few things to see what kind of abilities she might possess. Now, they were in a one-on-one practice combat to strengthen her agility and accuracy.

"Block my hands when they come towards you," he instructed.

He threw several would-be punches at her, and became thankful he wasn't actually trying to hit her... because she failed to block every time. She watched his hands and backed away nervously.

He stopped. "Block, my love. You've got to focus on my face to anticipate my next move. It is too easy to trick you if you watch my hands."

He started up again. Violet shrunk back again a little, but put her arms up in a weak attempt.

Sebastian stopped again. _I may have to take extreme measures if we're going to get anywhere,_ he frowned.

"What are you doing? I told you to BLOCK, not put your arms up in the way! They would be broken by now if this were real combat! Are you even TRYING!?" he shouted.

Tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry... it's just too-"

"Too what? Too difficult for the little princess to get her hands dirty? You worried about breaking a nail!? Get it together! Let's go again!" he growled.

He began throwing punches again, and she managed to block a couple, but quickly faltered.

"Your lack of effort disgusts me," Sebastian growled.

With those words, Violet sank to her knees and buried her hands in her face. She couldn't get the memories out of her head.

 **\- Flashback -**

 _Violet was 15. She had been "dating" this boy, Scotty, that she'd met at the skate park. She never brought him around the house, because her aunt would have had a heart attack if she'd seen him._

 _They were arguing about how another guy had been looking at her._

 _"You fucking him?" he asked, backing her into a corner._

 _"What? No!" she replied._

 _"Are. You. Fucking him!?" he spat again, his face close to hers now._

 _"I'm not! You know I've never done that with anyone-!"_

 _He grabbed her hair and roughly held her head against the wall, raising his other fist in front of her face._

 _"You better not be. You disgust me. If you ever make a fool of me..." he tapped his fist against her mouth, mimicking a punch._

 **\- End of flashback-**

She felt tears streaming down her face. She also felt hatred and anger start boiling in her chest, slowly pushing aside the sadness.

"Maybe you were right about not being demon material. In fact, maybe you were right about not being what I wanted. You're pathetic." Sebastian said flatly, examining his gloves.

 **\- Another flashback -**

 _"Where the hell were you when I called last night?!" Scotty shouted at her, after pulling her into the maintenance shed at the skate park._

 _"I told you, I had to go to some social thing with my aunt and uncle!" she said._

 _"Bullshit! Someone told me you were outside the mall making out with Trevor!"_

 _"Fuck no! Whatever idiot said that-"_

 _Before she even finished, he'd threw a punch at her, hitting her right in the mouth._

 _"So you're calling ME an idiot!?" he yelled, punching her again._

 _"No-" she meekly replied, blood dripping from her mouth._

 _Scotty knocked Violet to the ground, got on top of her, and put his hands around her throat._

 _"Bitch, I should kill you right now... you're pathetic. I'm starting to think I don't want your whore ass anymore."_

 **\- End of flashback -**

 _Did he really just say that to me?_ thought Violet, feeling the rage building and bubbling as the flashback melted away. _Did he really..._

Suddenly, she was on her feet, fists clenched, feeling as though she might explode at any second.

"Oh? Are we actually going to fight back now?" Sebastian asked nonchalantly. "Did you finally decide to listen to what I am telling you?"

 **\- Final flashback -**

 _Scotty had Violet by the hair, and slammed her against the wall._

 _"Bitch, you better learn to listen to me!" he shouted._

 _He threw a punch at her face but missed, hitting the brick wall instead. Letting out a yelp of pain, Violet took that chance to shove him backwards onto his ass. He just laughed._

 _"Are you gonna fight back now? I like a good fight."_

 _He got up and gave a hard blow to Violet's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending a burning pain throughout her body._

 **\- End of flashback -**

Without a word, Violet let out a loud growl and charged at Sebastian, feeling the rage finally erupt within her. He moved quickly, throwing several punches at her, which she blocked with ease. Once there was a pause, she grabbed Sebastian by the neck, jumped high up into the air, and slammed him into the ground, causing large cracks to break through the earth's surface. As she stood there breathing heavily, still holding him down and gripping his neck, he smirked.

"That's what I was looking for," he said casually.

"What-?"

She let go of him and stood straight, trying to sort out her emotions, which were swirling around inside her like whirlwind. Sebastian stood up and brushed his suit off, then turned to her.

"Under a controlled combat environment, you were letting your human side block you too much. I had to speak harshly to you so you could tap into the center of your rage and unleash it." he explained.

Violet stood there looking at the ground, still feeling her eyes burning, unsure of what to think. He approached her and put an arm around her waist, tilting her head up with his other hand to meet his eyes.

"My love?"

"H- how did you know...?" she asked shakily. "About... what to say...?"

"What do you mean?"

"The memories of Scotty and-" she stopped when she realized he actually didn't or had ever known about what had happened with Scotty.

"What is it, kitten?" Sebastian asked, his face filled with concern.

Violet quickly pulled herself out of it and brushed it off. "Nothing, never mind." she said, shaking her head. She made to turn and walk away, but he held on to her.

"Violet," he said sternly, which caught her off guard and sent a chill through her, since he rarely ever called her by her actual name, especially without 'Miss' in front of it. "Is there something that happened that you aren't telling me?"

She shook her head. "No... no. I'm just really overwhelmed right now, that's all. Are we done for the day? I really want to take a bath and possibly a nap..."

 _She's lying to me,_ Sebastian thought, feeling a bit angry and betrayed. _What is she keeping from me about Scotty?_

"Of course. I'll be along in a minute to help you," he replied casually.

"No, it's fine... I can manage... I'll call you if I need help though," she gave a weak smile. He let her go, and she headed up to the manor.

 _Perhaps she never told me out of fear or... humiliation?_ He felt his anger slip away, replaced by a sort of sadness. _I've gotta get her to tell me._

Just then, he had an idea.

 _I'd hate to have to seduce information out of my own mate... but it might be the only way._

Staying in that thought, Sebastian started towards the house.

* * *

Violet stepped out of her bathroom, wrapped in a towel, as steam poured through the doorway. _That was nice and relaxing. Just what I needed._

She'd been worrying about Sebastian, and regretting that she had slammed him into the ground the way she had. _How could I do that to the man I love?_ Then, she'd pushed that aside, reassuring herself that that's what he had wanted. It was training, she had to learn how to fight and call upon her strength when it was needed.

She walked over to her dresser, letting her towel slip from around her on the way. Just as she was about to open the drawer to retrieve some comfy clothes, she felt hands grab her hips from behind.

"My, my... what are the odds that I would find you in this state of undress right after everyone has left to go into town?" Sebastian spoke softy, his hot breath on her neck.

Violet gasped, startled. "Oh my god, you scared the hell out of me!" she squeaked, covering herself with her hands.

"Well, I've got something that'll fill the void... a very specific void..." he trailed off seductively, turning her around to face him, noticing she was covering herself. "Now, darling, why are you hiding your body from me? I've already seen most of it..." Pulling her hands away, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "... even felt your insides with my fingers."

She blushed, remembering the other day in the bath. He ran his hands down her back, then grabbed her ass and picked her up, laying her on the bed.

"I need to feel you around me again," he growled, leaning above her, his face only inches from hers. "I need to hear you moan my name as I defile your body and your soul."

He stood up, and slowly untied his tie, a sexy grin on his face. Violet sat up and began unbuttoning his waist coat and shirt, running her hands over his amazingly toned midsection. But she hesitated when she got to his pants. He chuckled lightly, sensing her nervousness.

"No need to be so shy, my little mate. I know how badly you want it."

 _Fuck, he's right..._ she inhaled sharply, looking up at him, then started working at the buttons. Once those were undone, she tugged both his pants and boxers down, revealing his large, stiff member. _Oh fuck, it's huge...! This thing is gonna rip me right in two!_

Violet wrapped her hands around it and lowered her mouth to it. She placed her lips to the warm tip, running her tongue over it. She slowly slid her mouth down his long shaft as far as she could, then pulled back up again. Sebastian let out a low growl and held her hair behind her head as she bobbed her hear back and forth, each time taking the tip deeper back into her throat. He pulled her back after a few minutes.

"Your mouth does wonders for being inexperienced." he said, gently pushing her back to make her lay down. "Now, allow me to show you what mine can do..."

Violet obeyed his silent command and laid down, while Sebastian got to his knees, putting her legs over his shoulders. His tongue started exploring her inner thighs. For some reason, it briefly crossed her mind how, when she was younger, he would put cherry stems in his mouth, only to remove them moments later with several knots tied in them. It always impressed her and her friends. "A cheap party trick," he would call it.

 _I wonder if that has any-_ she suddenly gasped and moaned as his tongue found her clit, and he alternated between licking and sucking at it. Her knees immediately started shaking. He used one hand to slip two fingers into her wet center, pumping them in and out, while his other hand squeezed at one of her breasts, his fingers toying with the nipple.

"Oooh- ahh! Se-Sebastian!" she cried, clenching the bedding in her hands.

"Hmmm?" he responded, not pulling away from what he was doing.

"F-fuck me, please! Fuck me now!"

Sebastian felt that jolt go through him, and immediately got up, licking her dripping juices from his fingers. He leaned over her, looking into her eyes. Violet whimpered a bit, looking back up at him, begging him with her eyes.

"Very vulgar language," he finally said teasingly, climbing up on the bed as he scooted her up more. "But I do love hearing you beg for me in such a way." He leaned down and brushed his lips on hers. "Say it again."

"Fuck me, Sebastian. Take me now."

"Good girl," he replied, pushing her legs apart with his own.

Violet shivered as Sebastian positioned himself at her dripping wet opening, pressing into her slightly.

"I'll try to make this as painless as possible..."

Before she could respond, he allowed his hips to fall, thrusting himself into her. Violet gasped and gripped his shoulders as the pain of him filling her shot through. He kissed her softly for a few minutes, allowing her to get used to him, then slowly started moving in and out.

 _Oh my god, this is amazing,_ Violet thought, still gripping his arms as the pain started to fade, replaced only by an indescribable sensation.

"Ahh... Sebastian... harder..." she gasped, feeling the knot forming in her abdomen with every small thrust he made.

Sebastian emitted a low growl and began moving faster and deeper, pushing himself into her as far as it would go each time. This evoked a whimper from Violet, who wrapped her legs around his waist. He felt a gush of wet warmth leave her and soak the bedding below them. She moaned again, making him start pounding into her even harder while she continued to soak the sheets more. She dug her nails into his back, leaving claw marks.

"Violet," he said gruffly after a couple minutes, holding her head in his hands to keep her eyes on his. He stopped moving. "From now on, not one other will lay a hand on you who doesn't wish to be destroyed. You belong to me. You're mine and only mine. Is this clear?"

"Y-Yes-"

"Say it." Sebastian commanded, his eyes taking on a soft glow.

"I-I'm only yours, I belong to you..." Violet repeated breathlessly, keeping her eyes locked on his, mesmerized.

"That's my kitten," he whispered, taking her lips to his.

With several more swift pumps, Sebastian gripped her hips and drove himself deeper into her, spilling his seed into what little room that was left inside her. At the same time, Violet felt herself falling over the edge into a blinding climax beyond anything she could ever have imagined. She covered her mouth with her hands, muffling the loud whimpers escaping her, as she kept her eyes on the man that she belonged to.

"I love you," she managed to choke out, barely hearing his response through her euphoria.

 **-Sebastian's POV-**

I buttoned up my shirt as Violet sat at her makeup counter, brushing her hair.

"My love..."

"Hmm?"

"Exactly who is Scotty?" I questioned, now working on my waistcoat.

She froze for a few seconds. "Just an old boyfriend..."

"Oh? I don't recall ever meeting him. Or hearing about him at all."

"Eh... it was kind of something I was trying to keep from everyone. Especially Carol... she would have flipped shit if she'd met him." she said, turning to the mirror and continuing on her hair. "I was fifteen, he was seventeen. We only dated for a couple months. If you could call it that..."

I walked up behind her, working at my tie slowly. "You mentioned something about memories earlier..." I pressed, laying my hand on her shoulder. She gasped when she saw the mark appear through the reflection.

"So that's..."

"Yes," I bent down and gave her neck a light kiss. "Now, darling, about those memories..."

Violet was quiet for a minute. "That... that was nothing. I was just caught up in my anger is all-"

I quickly turned her around to face me. Catching the frightened expression on her face, I knelt down in front of her and took her hands in mine, noticing she was shaking.

"My love... there's no need to keep things from me. What did he do to you to cause such fear?"

She bit her lip and looked away as her eyes welled up. "He... he was always accusing me of shit, always fighting with me... he'd tell everyone what a whore I allegedly was, just because I wouldn't fuck him... I'm surprised he didn't force that on me... probably because he was getting it from someone else... and he..."

I felt myself growing angry, already sensing what was coming next. "He put his hands on you?" Violet nodded. "Those injuries you would come home with weren't from skating then...?"

She shook her head. "Most of them, no."

Now my rage was fully engulfing me as I stood up. _I'm gonna kill him._

"Sebastian?" Violet said, looking up at me. No doubt she sensed my anger.

"Hmm?" I forced myself to respond calmly.

"Why have you asked me about this?"

 _Because he's gonna get what's coming to him._ "You are my mate. We mustn't keep secrets from each other. Especially ones like this. Why have you never told me before?"

"I... I honestly kind of thought you already knew..." she replied, standing up.

I pulled her to me and looked into her shining gray eyes. "If I had known, he wouldn't have had the chance to hurt you again after the first time. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to interfere with your life in that way. I had to wait for you to tell me of anything. I was unable to connect to your thoughts and emotions because of this. That will soon change. And I promise you, no one will ever be able to hurt you like that ever again."

 _And Scotty will pay for what he did to you._


	6. Errands

**Just wanted to let everyone know that I have been working on this like crazy and trying to make sure I stay a few chapters ahead of what I upload. Definitely leave reviews, if you want, it helps my writing process, knowing people are actually reading lol.**

It was early evening, and Violet was reading in the study. Sebastian had gone a few hours ago with Leon and Charles on some mystery errand after everyone had returned from town. Carol was out in the garden with Finny, Baldroy was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and Mey-Rin was setting the table.

 _I haven't heard shattering dishes, or an explosion yet,_ she thought, relieved. The last explosion from Bard's creative cooking methods had destroyed the entire kitchen, which did not sit well with Carol.

Violet's thoughts kept drifting back to the morning's events. She couldn't get the visions of Sebastian's alluring gaze out of her head as he spoke to her. _"You're mine and only mine."_ This made her absentmindedly bring her hand up to her shoulder where she had seen the mark appear earlier.

She blushed and felt butterflies flare up in her stomach when she felt a gloved hand set atop her shoulder from behind her.

"My lady," Sebastian said in greeting. He placed a trail of soft kisses down her neck. "Am I interrupting?"

"N-no, no. I just spaced out is all," Violet replied with a smile.

"Hmm... you looked miles away in thought. And your face is flushed. I can't help but to think you were reminiscing over this morning. Am I correct?" he said with a sly smile.

"Maybe..." she said quietly, her face burning.

This made him chuckle. "I love seeing you blush, kitten," he said in a low voice, his deep red eyes studying her in amusement. Then he leaned close and whispered in her ear. "It makes me want to do the most depraved of ineffable things to you…"

Violet shuddered, imagining what those things could be.

Sebastian, silently enjoying her reaction, held a hand out to her and changed back to his butler demeanor. "Come, mistress. Dinner is near ready."

She closed her book and took his hand, then they began making their way to the dining room. Violet shook her awkwardness and spoke up.

"So... where did you guys go?" she asked curiously.

"I am unable to reveal that, unfortunately," he replied.

"Damn. Secret, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that. More of a surprise."

"For...?" she pressed.

"You'll know in due time, darling."

 _Dammit._

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Sebastian continued to train Violet in combat and using her emotions to max out her abilities. By the end of the third week, he was confident enough to say that she had it down well enough to handle it on her own, should the need arise. Now, he wanted her to work on being assertive and authoritative, as that was a part of getting people to cooperate with your wishes.

"It's all about tone and posture," he'd told her. "And don't forget eye contact. A firm and seemingly threatening gaze is key."

"Yeh, I know what you mean, I've seen you with the other servants." Violet replied, feeling a chill run through her as she recalled the several occasions.

There had also been several more secret errands, which drove Violet crazy. She would question him mercilessly, trying to get any bit of information out of him that she could. She'd even tried to pull the seduction card, but it didn't work.

"The time draws ever nearer," he said quietly to no one, watching her retreat back into the house for a shower after they'd spent the morning on a final session. "I'll be claiming you very soon, my love... you'll be bound to me for all of eternity."

With that, Sebastian decided to have a word with Finny, Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Tanaka while Violet was occupied. After locating them at their various stations and gathering everyone into the parlor, he spoke.

"How has everything been coming along?" he asked them.

"The landscaping is just as you've ordered!" Finny answered excitedly.

"All has been cleaned and polished right down to the last nook, it has!" Mey-Rin stated, her face slightly flushed.

"Repairs were made and inspections complete, and everything stocked up." replied Bard, cigarette between his lips.

"Hoh hoh hoh," Tanaka responded, sipping his tea.

"Good. I'd like you to make the move tomorrow morning while I'm accompanying Miss Violet to town, then we will arrive in the evening. I expect you'll have everything in order?"

"Yes sir!" the three said.

"Hoh hoh hoh," Tanaka replied again.

"Very well. You are dismissed." Sebastian finished.

Just after they'd all left, Carol stepped in.

"Sebastian. Leon and Charles tell me the final preparations have been made?" she asked, approaching the tall window on the other side of the room.

"Yes, we will be leaving tomorrow."

Carol sighed and stared out at the front yard, silent for a few moments before speaking again.

"I hope this won't be too much for her," she said, sitting down on the velvet lounge that was in front of the window. "As tough as I was on her, I only wanted the best for Violet. She was, after all, like a daughter to me. I worried so much about her and Charles. Of course, Charles was already well aware of everything by the time they came to us. But Violet... I'd hoped to shelter her from all of it, so she could have a normal life... I know I was wrong for that. To be completely honest, having my great great grand daughter born with the mark of a demon was-"

"I wish you would drop your images of constant threats in the underworld. After all, you are a demon yourself." Sebastian replied curtly. "Violet will face no such danger, in my possession."

"Sebastian, this is all new, even to you. The mates of demons in your rank are especially vulnerable to being targeted by the malefactors that run crime rings from hell. I've no concern about you with her, the worry is with them. How do you think her mother and father got murdered-"

"Lady Miranda and Earl Matthew were not bound together from birth, and their murderers knew they could get away with it. Messing with a demon's natural mate, on the other hand, brings about a form of punishment so formidable, not one being in our realm dares even speak of it. Your fears for Violet's safety are unfounded."

Carol sighed. "I hope so." she replied, glancing back out the window before getting up and heading towards the door. "Please promise me that you will take care of her, Sebastian."

Sebastian bowed. "I promise. I will love and protect her with my life."

"That is all I ask." she said. Before leaving the room, she paused. "Do you still hold plans to go after the murderers of Lady and Earl?"

"Of course. If I didn't exact revenge on such an inexcusable action, what kind of butler would I be?"

* * *

Early the next morning, Violet woke up to Sebastian lightly kissing her neck, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Good morning, kitten," he said softly. "We've got much to do today."

Violet rolled over and put her arms around him, pulling him close. "Like what?"

"Well, you planned to go into town today and do some shopping?"

"Yes... but that's not really a lot. Just visiting a few shops..."

"I also have a surprise for you this evening," he said.

Her eyes lit up as she sat up. "A surprise? What is it! Does it have anything to do with these mystery errands lately?"

Sebastian got up and opened the curtains covering the windows. "You might want to get up and get ready for the day. What would you like for breakfast?" he asked, purposely avoiding her questions.

"Sebastian!" she whined. _Butler mode._

"Fruit and yogurt it is, then. I'll see you downstairs in a little bit." he went on, smirking as he bowed and headed to the door.

Violet picked up a pillow and threw it at him as he walked out, just missing as he gave her a light chuckle and ducked out the door, closing it behind him.

 _Well, at least I'll finally know tonight,_ she thought as she went into the bathroom and turned the shower on.

After washing up, Violet wrapped a towel around herself and stood in front of the mirror to brush her hair before getting dressed. That's when she saw the mark very faintly on her shoulder.

 _That's weird... it's never there... unless Sebastian is touching me..._ she remembered when she'd first seen it in the mirror, his hand on her shoulder.

"Hm..." she shrugged and continued on her hair, then dressed in her usual attire of a black fitted shirt, black mini skirt, and boots. After quickly applying eyeliner and shadow, she hurried downstairs to the dining room, where Sebastian had breakfast waiting on the table.

"Good morning, Violet," Carol greeted, looking up from her fashion magazine she was reading over breakfast.

"Good morning, auntie," Violet replied, sitting down to the fruit and yogurt that had been prepared for her. She'd decided to just keep calling Carol "auntie", as it was too weird to refer to her as anything else, by now. "Where is Uncle Leon?"

"He has gone to handle some business matters. He won't be back until later this afternoon."

"Oh..." It was then that she noticed something odd. "Where is everyone else? It seems too quiet."

"I believe they are discussing the plans for the day." Carol replied simply.

 _This is pretty weird... usually everyone just gets to work with no specific direction..._

Violet pushed the thoughts out of her head and started eating her breakfast. Then something else began swirling in her mind. She put her spoon back down, sat up straight, and addressed her aunt again, in a much firmer tone.

"I want to visit my parents' graves."

Carol's eyes bugged out, and she nearly spit her tea out, as she had been taking a drink at that moment.

"Violet, dear, you know it's not safe-"

"Cut the crap, Carol. I have Sebastian. He'll be with me. I need you to tell me where they are buried." she said unwaveringly, keeping her eyes locked with her aunt's. _It's been long enough. I need closure._

Carol opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again and sighed in resignation. "Very well... I suppose, considering everything else going on." She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from a nearby drawer and began writing. Violet sat up more straight, both surprised and pleased that her demeanor-in-practice had worked.

* * *

"Sebastian? We should be heading to town soon," Violet called, looking around. Having finished breakfast, she was eager to head out. She had the directions to her parents' burial site that Carol had written tucked away in her purse.

Sebastian appeared behind her, setting his hands on her waist. "Of course, my lady. Whenever you're ready."

She jumped and turned around to face him. "Fucking hell, you really gotta stop scaring me like that! Can't you just make your presence known like a normal per- ya know what, never mind." She stopped and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Come along then, the car is waiting out front." he replied, an amused smirk on his face, as he pulled her along towards the door.

* * *

Sebastian and Violet wandered around town, going into various shops and looking around. They first stopped into a book store, picking up a few new books. Then they went into a pet store to look at the cute kittens in the window. Of course, they both had a hard time leaving empty handed, but did, nonetheless. Next was a clothing store, where Sebastian helped her find a couple new dresses... proper, but not like the ones her aunt had made her wear.

"What about this?" he asked, holding up a black bra-like shirt with various straps and chains on it.

"Uh... where's the rest of it?" Violet asked, playing with one of the chains.

He chuckled and pushed it into her hands, then looked back over at the rack he'd pulled it from. "And look, a matching skirt." he said, holding up what was allegedly a skirt. It was barely enough to cover much of anything, and also had many straps and chains hanging from it.

"Sebastian!" Violet whispered loudly. "That's not even-! It doesn't have-! When would I ever-!?"

He pushed that into her hands as well and leaned close, whispering into her ear. "I insist you get these. The images in my mind of you wearing them..." he took one of her hands and brought it below his waist, where she felt something growing rather large and stiff. "... Are making for a rather awkward situation."

Violet blushed fiercely and pulled her hand away before anyone saw the two of them. "Okay, okay. Just... calm yourself before we move on."

"Done," he said promptly, backing up from her a bit and looking back at the rack. "Oh look, this one has spikes on it..."

"How-? Okay yeh... let's move away from this area." she said, grabbing his hand and leading him through more racks and shelves of clothing before he found anything else and ended up with any more images in his head.

They passed a display of men's clothes, which caught her eye. Violet stopped to get a closer look.

"Sebastian! We should look at some new clothes for you. I'll buy!"

"Hmm... while it is a generous offer, my current attire will do."

"But don't you ever get tired of wearing that? I've never seen you in anything else, besides your tutor attire and no-..." she blushed and stopped herself from speaking any further.

"I can't say I do get tired of it." Sebastian said, smirking at what she had been about to say.

Seeing as her cheeks were once again blazing bright red, and she doubted she could form coherent sentences, Violet simply nodded her head and gestured toward the checkout counter. As they exited the store, she calmed down once more.

"Where to next, my love?" Sebastian asked as they headed out to the streets, carrying all the packages they'd acquired.

"I... I have to run to that flower shop. Meet me at the car in 10 minutes, okay?" she replied, heading a few doors down.

"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you?" he called after her.

"It's fine, I'll be right back." she called over her shoulder. With that, she disappeared into the shop.

Sebastian did as he was instructed and headed to the waiting car, where the driver helped load the bags and boxes into the trunk. Sometime later, Violet came out of the shop carrying two bundles of lilacs and cherry blossom flowers.

"Oh? Are you planning to start a new garden section?" Sebastian asked curiously as he helped her into the car and got in after her.

"No, no..." she replied, taking the piece of paper out of her purse and handing it to the driver. "Please bring us here next."

Sebastian looked questioningly at her but didn't ask anything more, for he already sensed where their next stop would be.


	7. A Surprise

**Things start getting more interesting, after this. Some unexpected twists will be popping up! I think. I don't really know how to judge my own writing from a reader's POV lol.**

 **I wanted to take a moment to answer a great question that** **Madison asked: The servants are still the originals from the anime/manga. How this happened will be explained in a later chapter when more is revealed to Violet :)  
**

* * *

Violet stood with the flowers in her hands, staring at two large grave markers in the middle of an otherwise empty cemetery. The stones were carved in the form of male and female angels, resembling her father and mother, respectively. She noticed how well everything was maintained. Beautiful, fresh flowers bloomed all around, the grass was green and springy, and the stones polished perfectly, shining bright, even in overcast skies.

"Finny tends to the maintenance of Lord and Lady's site every Wednesday," Sebastian spoke, noticing her admiring everything. He stood by her side, both for protection and support.

"So he knew this whole time where they're buried... did you? Everyone else? Why didn't any of you ever tell me, when Carol refused...?"

Sebastian sighed. "It was, as she said, dangerous for some time. My guess is she was being overly cautious after the first few years. And as you know, I was not to interfere with their wishes concerning your upbringing. Same for the others. Please forgive me for continuing to keep it from you."

Violet nodded and stepped forward, placing the flowers against each stone. That's when she felt the tears start burning up in her eyes. _No, don't cry…_

"I'm sorry mom, dad... I tried to come here sooner..." she whispered, feeling a lump forming in her throat. "I miss you both so much..."

Suddenly, she felt her legs give out from under her and fell to her knees. In a flash, Sebastian slowing the fall and carefully setting her down.

"Why does my family have this curse?" Violet asked after a few moments of silence, giving in to the tears now streaming down her cheeks.

"It has been that way since earl Ciel Phantomhive was a child. It is an ongoing war among the generations between the Queen's guard dog and the crime rings," he replied. "This is why I have remained in service to the family for so long. Revenge has not been executed, per the original contract."

"Why not...?"

"It's... a bit complicated. Without the proper orders from my original contract holder, I have been unable to carry out such plans."

"But grandfather Ciel has been gone for a long time, and I thought that if the one you make the contract with dies, it's voided out?" Violet asked, confused. "So you technically wouldn't be bound to our family anymore."

Sebastian shook his head. "As I said... it's complicated. I will be able to explain more after you've undergone the transformation. Only then will the plan be set in motion."

"Enough delay. When will you change me?" Violet looked at Sebastian knelt down next to her and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I'm ready to bring these fuckers down."

"It won't be much longer. But I will not have you fighting such a battle. It is I who must exact revenge..."

"No. I want to be the one to do it, and watch the life drain out of the son of a bitch who ordered my parents dead." she growled, digging her fingers into the dirt, eyes ablaze. "I want to end this once and for all."

"My love-"

"Besides, what good is the pact to you anymore? How much more of it could even be valid? The soul you were to receive is long gone."

"Things will make more sense to you soon, I promise." Sebastian took her head in his hands and placed a kiss on her forehead. "For now, I need you to trust me, kitten." He pulled her up so they were both standing.

Violet threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "I do... I'm sorry, Sebastian... I just miss my parents... and I want this nightmare to end. I worry that none of the Phantomhives, living or not, will rest peacefully until it does."

Sebastian put his arm around her waist and led her towards the car where the driver waited. "I think it's time for that surprise you've been waiting for."

* * *

The driver turned off the main road and navigated the car down a long drive that was sheltered by trees, making it more of a tunnel. Not one bit of the sky could be seen through them, but there were lights strung from branch to branch, casting a calming glow.

Violet looked to Sebastian questioningly. He said nothing, but simply rest his hand atop hers.

After a few minutes, they came to a gate. The driver punched in the code, and the gate slowly swung open. Another couple minutes passed before a large manor came into view. As the car got closer, she saw 6 people standing out front, waiting.

"Is that Carol and Leon? Baldroy? Finny? Mey-Rin and Tanaka? What are they all doing here? Where are we, even?"

After the car came to a stop, Sebastian got out and opened her door, offering his hand to help her out. Violet got out and looked up at the massive structure before them. _This place seems familiar, but I have no idea how..._

"Welcome back to Phantomhive manor, Miss Violet," Sebastian said with a bow.

"Welcome home!" chorused the other 3 servants.

"Hoh hoh hoh," was Tanaka's greeting.

"This is..." Violet trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Carol stepped forward and placed her hands on Violet's shoulders. "I knew this would be too stressful for you. Now Violet, you just come right back to our house and-"

Leon cleared his throat. "Dear, I think we should let her make that decision. She's only just stepped out of the car. Give it some time."

"Right. Of course," Carol replied, stepping back.

"My lady, shall we go inside?" Sebastian asked, still holding Violet's hand.

He led the way up the steps and through the front door into the foyer. Violet looked around, brief flashes of memories going through her mind, but nothing solid. She ran her hands over the carvings on the pillars, studying the intricately crafted ceilings and woodwork, and admiring the elegant marble floor.

She was caught between trying to remember the manor, and processing it as somewhere new. If there were bad memories associated with it, she couldn't find them yet. She suddenly felt a spark of excitement ignite within her.

"I love it! Sebastian, this is..." Violet pulled him into a hug. "Thank you." Then she turned to where everyone else stood. She had been so distracted that she hadn't realized they'd come in, as well. "And thank you to all of you. I imagine that pulling this place back together was a lot of work. You did an amazing job."

Carol stepped forward again, looking relieved but still concerned. "So, you're okay with this?"

"Yes. It's time for me to move back into my family's home and do what I must to carry on our name," Violet said firmly.

Carol let out a sob and pulled her into a hug now. "Oh, I'm going to miss having you at our house! Remember that you can come back any time, even if you just want to stay for the weekend, or move back in-"

Leon cleared his throat again and pulled Carol away. "Get a hold of yourself, woman. The girl is ready to grow up. Now, Violet, Charles said he is sorry he couldn't be here today, but promises he will visit as soon as possible."

Violet nodded, remembering he'd been in on this as well.

"My lady, I suppose we should be going. Let's let Violet and her staff settle in. We've got a meeting downtown to attend." Leon continued, steering Carol towards the door.

"Do call us soon and let us know how everything is! Or if you need anything at all! If you want to come back-" Carol went on as she was shoved out the door, her uncle giving them a nod before closing the door behind themselves.

* * *

A week had passed since Sebastian's surprise, and Violet was beginning to feel more at home. Being back in the manor that she'd spent her earliest couple years in gave her a strange sense of comfort, though there were still no solid memories registering.

She spent a good part of the week just wandering around, exploring the many rooms and hallways. Which is exactly what she planned for the day again. After getting out of bed and dressed in a black tank top and usual black mini skirt, she set off.

 _This place is massive… maybe I should have Sebastian draw up a map,_ she thought, opening a door to yet another guest bedroom, next to the one she'd left off at the day before. _It's like navigating a small country._

She giggled to herself at the thought of misplacing something and having to search every room to find it again. _I'd better be careful not to get into THAT situation…_

"Have you found something comical?" Sebastian asked, a hint of amusement in his own voice. Violet turned to see him standing on the other side of the hall, in front of a door she hadn't yet gotten to.

"I'm just getting the lay of the land, still. Might take a couple years though… it baffles me how someone can live in such a big house," she said, peeking behind another door, which turned out to be a closet filled with various linens. "I suppose you know this place better than the back of your hand, huh?"

"Right down to the most minuscule of cracks in the floorboards," he replied.

"What's in there?" Violet asked, looking at the door Sebastian stood in front of.

"I shall ask that you don't go in here," Sebastian said. "At least, not yet."

She snorted and chuckled. "Well, now that you've made it seem all mysterious, I DEFINITELY want to go in!" She walked over and nudged him playfully. "Scooch, butler!"

"I'm sorry, my lady. I must insist."

"What are you hiding in there? Is… is this your room?" she asked, feeling curiosity REALLY setting in at the realization that she'd never seen his room when they were at her aunt and uncle's.

"No… but if you would like to see my room…" he said, rather seductively, running a finger up one of her arms and moving closer. "… I'll gladly take you there."

Violet felt goosebumps rise on her skin. "Uh… eh..."

Sebastian stopped and took a closer look at her shoulder.

"How long has this been visible?" he asked, expression now serious.

Violet looked at the faint mark on her shoulder. "I dunno. A couple weeks, maybe less. It's not that noticeable."

Before anything more could be said, there was the sound of a window shattering, a large crash, then tires screeching. In the blink of an eye, Sebastian had scooped Violet into his arms and ran to the top of the stairs that overlooked the foyer, where the sounds had come from.

"What the hell was that?" Bard shouted, running in with a flamethrower in hand.

Sebastian descended the stairs and set Violet to her feet.

Mey-Rin dashed in from the opposite direction Bard had, arms flailing. "Mister Sebastian, they broke the window!"

"I see that, Mey-Rin. Thank you," he sighed.

Finny crashed through the front door, various gardening tools flying about. "Miss Violet, are you alright? I saw a black SUV pull up and throw something through the window before taking off again! Is everyone alright?!"

"Calm down, Finny, we're all fine, thank you." Violet said, placing a hand on his shoulder, which caused his face to flush a bright pink.

"Hmm…" Sebastian had found a large black stone with a note tied to it, which he was now reading. "This will not do at all."

"What does it say?" Bard asked.

"Finny, you say a black SUV?" Sebastian queried, ignoring Bard and turning towards Finny.

"Yeah, there were three men inside!"

"I see…"

"Sebastian, what's going on? What does the note say?" Violet asked, moving to his side.

"It seems that they know you have returned to your home," he responded, eyes still on the note he held.

"Who kno-" the color drained from her face when she realized who Sebastian was talking about. _It's starting all over again._

Violet caught a glance at the two words written on the paper: **_You're next._**


	8. A Request

*** UPCOMING LEMON WARNING ***

It was mid-morning a couple days later, and the comfort which Violet had previously felt in her new/old home had vanished completely, instead being replaced by a constant ominous feeling of impending doom. If any of the servants felt it too, they didn't make it known. It seemed as though everything around her was going on normally, while she was stuck in an isolated haze of horror. Sebastian stayed by her side day and night, if not too far from it, but she still couldn't shake the eerie feeling.

She sat in the study at her desk, elbows resting on the chair arms, fingers steepled at her chin, staring off into nowhere, when the door creaking open made her jump.

"Pardon the interruption, my mistress, but this was just delivered," Sebastian carried an envelope on a silver tray and held it out for her. "There is a messenger awaiting your response in the foyer."

Violet turned it over and over in her hands a couple times, noticing the wax seal that kept it closed. "It looks like it's from the queen," she stated, pulling the seal and unfolding the letter. "I wonder what she could possibly want with me. Charles is the one who usually handles her requests…" she trailed off as she started reading.

 ** _Lady Violet Phantomhive,_**

 ** _Charles has informed me that you've recently returned to your family's manor. It is wonderful to know that it is being inhabited again. I hope you've settled in and adjusted to your new life as the second head of the Phantomhive family._**

 ** _I am inquiring today because I would like to ask for your help with something. I cannot explain details in this letter, so if you agree to help me, please send word back with my messenger, and expect a visit from a man involved with the case later this evening._**

 ** _I would be greatly honored to have you working with us._**

 ** _Best regards,_**

 ** _Queen Victoria_**

Violet folded the letter back up and set it down. "Sebastian, would you let the messenger know that I agree?" she asked, looking confused but determined.

"Of course, my lady." He left the room, leaving her to her thoughts again.

 _What use could I possibly be to a case of the queen's if she can't handle it herself?_

* * *

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

"Lady Phantomhive agrees to assist the queen," I told the messenger.

"A man named Chester Halbard will arrive around 7 this evening," the messenger said as he turned and left.

 _I better get this place in proper order for a guest. It's been awhile since we've hosted._

I located the other four servants and explained to them what was expected. After ensuring that the kitchen was stocked with premium ingredients for Bard to cook with, I verified with Mey-Rin that the finest tableware was out, and that Finny had groomed the flower beds and lawn. Tanaka… he was fine sipping his tea.

Satisfied with the progress, I busied myself with odd tasks around the manor. Then I remembered how the mark on Violet's shoulder had started becoming visible.

 _Surely, that one time I slipped up couldn't have had THAT much of an effect…_

I made a mental note to be more careful.

 _If I don't transform her properly, things could go very wrong, and I could risk losing everything… including her._

* * *

A few minutes before 7, the doorbell chimed. Sebastian welcomed the young, brown-haired man and invited him in.

"Mr. Halbard, thank you for coming. Lady Phantomhive will be right down. May I take your hat and jacket?"

"Yes, thank you," he said, allowing Sebastian to take them and hang them on a nearby coat rack.

Violet appeared and started down the stairs, her boots thudding heavily. She approached the guest and held out her hand.

"Chester Halbard, I presume?"

Mr. Halbard hesitantly shook it, eyes wide. "Uh… yes. Are you-?"

"Violet Phantomhive. Nice to meet you. So what's this case the queen wants me to help with?"

Sebastian edged towards Violet and whispered to her. "My lady, it is customary to conduct business talks in the parlor or billiard room over tea."

"Well I don't know how this stuff works!" Violet whispered back.

Sebastian addressed Mr. Halbard again. "Please, follow us, sir. I've prepared an earl gray tea in the parlor."

They walked into the room off the foyer, where a freshly-lit fire crackled, and a service cart with tea preparations stood near the plush chairs. Sebastian started making the tea, while Violet and Mr. Halbard sat down.

"So…" Violet started. "This case?"

Once again, Sebastian whispered in her ear. "Mistress, it is also customary to make a bit of small talk before getting to business talk."

"How am I supposed to know? Maybe you should be handling this, then! I've never had to do this before!" Violet replied, not bothering to whisper this time.

"It's quite alright, I am in a bit of a hurry, anyhow," Mr. Halbard said. "There have been a number of young women disappearing from London, and it is believed there is a connection between the cases. It is also believed that they are being sold and traded as sex workers. If that is the case, then they are most likely still alive."

Violet stayed quiet, waiting for him to say more, but he didn't. "Okay… so what does the queen want me to do? Look for them?" She saw Sebastian smirking out of the corner of her eye as he served them their tea.

"Technically… yes. But there's a little more to it than simply looking for them…"

She took a sip of her tea. "Which would be…?" Violet swore she heard Sebastian snort as though he were trying not to laugh. She shot him a look that said _'what the fuck is your deal?'_.

Mr. Halbard cleared his throat. "Well… considering your age, and your style, you would probably need to go undercover as a prostitute…"

Violet spit out the tea she had just taken another sip of. Surprisingly, she also saw Sebastian hunched over, pretending to tend to the fire, while his shoulders shook with what was, undeniably, muffled laughter.

"A prostitute?! You got some nerve, guy, coming in here and telling me I'd make a good hooker! I oughta deck you in the face!" She shot up out of her chair, glaring at the man.

"Uhm… is Charles around? Maybe I'd better speak with him." Mr. Halbard said, standing up as well and looking considerably uncomfortable.

"No, Earl Charles does not live here." Sebastian said, turning around, apparently having forced himself to regain composure before things escalated. "But I assure you, Miss Violet can handle the assignment. Her casual demeanor would make her less suspect undercover. She would blend in perfectly." The man nodded.

Violet clenched her fists and turned to Sebastian now. "And you, you agree with him?! You're both foul retched-"

"My lady, if I may clarify, Mr. Halbard was not insulting you. He was merely making reference to your age group and mannerisms of a typical teenager. Younger women tend to attract more attention from the men who seek the services of street walkers. As I said, no one would suspect that you are actually working undercover for the queen."

Violet took a minute to process this information. _That is true…_

"Right… sorry…" she finally said, sighing in resignation. "Please, sit." She gestured to the chairs and sat down again.

"Quite alright. If you would like to take this on, I will make arrangements downtown for next week and secure a couple rooms at an inn for you and your butler. Further instructions will be left in a sealed envelope at the front desk with one of our trusted colleagues."

Violet looked at Sebastian to see if he had any input on the matter, but he just gave a single nod.

"Uh… yeh, I'll do it."

"I will notify the queen, then." Mr. Halbard stood and made his way into the foyer to retrieve his jacket and hat. "It was nice meeting you, Miss Phantomhive. I look forward to working with you." With a sideways glance, he left.

"What an odd man," Violet said, still sipping her tea.

Sebastian snickered. Violet turned to him questioningly.

"Nothing, my mistress. You just remind me of the first Phantomhive I served, at the moment."

"Grandfather Ciel… from what you've told me, he sounds like someone I would have gotten along quite well with." She thought for a second. "How old was he when he died, anyway?"

Sebastian started to say something, but immediately changed the course of his sentence. "My love, it's getting late-"

"It's only 7:30-"

"- perhaps we should get you upstairs-"

"- it's not even dark yet…"

"- and I promise I will tell you all the stories you want tomorrow. For now…" He pulled Violet up to her feet and pulled her against him. She felt her heart speed up as she looked up into his eyes. "I have some business of my own to tend to with you."

* * *

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

I'd stopped myself just before speaking anything of Ciel. It wasn't quite time for that, yet. I would tell her everything soon. She needed to keep a clear head for the upcoming assignment.

I picked Violet up and carried her to her bedroom. Once I set her on the bed, I immediately pinned her down before she could get up again, and ran my tongue up the side of her neck. She shivered, squirming slightly, so I held her arms down tighter with one hand and used the other to easily rip her shirt and pull her skirt off. With a couple more swift flicks, she was left in nothing but her knee high stockings.

"Sebastian, I-"

"Shhh…" I put a finger to her lips. "No talking." After brushing my lips across hers, I moved down a bit lower and teased her breasts with my fingers, circling my tongue around and over the nipples. With a light moan, I felt her back arch below me.

I stood again, but before I could even begin removing my clothes, Violet had already got up on her knees and started working on them.

"My, someone is impatient," I said teasingly, as she bit her lip and looked up at me.

As soon as the last garment hit the floor, I had her pinned down again, completely helpless as I lingered over her.

"Look at you, kitten, you can barely bat an eyelash, the way I have you restrained," I said, bringing my face down close to hers. "I've got you in a position that would allow me to ravish you within a very thin inch of your life."

I positioned myself at her opening and thrust into her without warning, causing her to gasp and jump. Violet's body tensed up as I repeatedly slammed into her, abandoning all caution I had shown the first time I'd defiled her. Each whimper and moan she emitted made me go faster and harder. What had started as an occasional gush of wetness slowly became continuous as I felt her grow tighter around me.

I looked down at my mate, taking in every little detail. Her body was shaking, flushed, and glistening with sweat. Her breasts bounced with each forceful thrust I pounded into her. Her face read nothing short of ecstasy, eyes occasionally rolling back.

 _This is mine. A part of me forever._

I felt a powerful jolt spark through me, and before I could stop it, I felt myself shift into demon mode.

 _Don't do it…_

"Sebastian!" Violet cried, writhing under my grip, unaware of my battle.

 _Don't do it! It's not the right time yet!_

In spite of trying to tell myself this, I could no longer hold back. Letting go of her arms, and without slowing down, I wrapped my own arms around her and sunk my fangs directly into the mark on her shoulder. She cried out in a mix of pain and pleasure, as I felt her hit the release I'd brought her to so quickly. She clung tightly to me, nails digging into my flesh. I growled as I spilled my own seed into her, careful to keep my fangs embedded in her skin.

"Sebastian…?" Violet gasped.

I pulled one arm out from under her and placed my hand on her cheek. _It's almost over, my love._

I saw the mark glow brightly for a moment before it died out and became a solid black.

 _It's done…_


	9. Awaken

**\- Violet's POV -**

I felt myself begin falling into darkness as Sebastian's hand rest upon my cheek. The last thing I saw was his face close to mine, his eyes fade from glowing slits to their normal deep red. Then he got up, and I felt a sheet cover me to my shoulders, and strong arms moving me to a proper position on the bed.

 _What just happened?_ I wondered, feeling slightly terrified, realizing my vision had completely disappeared by now. _Am… am I dying?! Did he just kill me? What the fuck, Sebastian!?  
_

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

"Where's Miss Violet? Is she feeling sick today?" Finny asked, as I gathered the servants for a morning briefing.

"I'm afraid Miss Violet will be unavailable for a while. She has come down with a virus and will remain in bed until she feels better." I lied.

"Oh no!" Mey-Rin gasped.

"Maybe she needs some of my homemade chicken soup!" suggested Bard.

"Hoh hoh hoh," said Tanaka, holding up his cup of tea.

"I will be tending to her until it has passed. However, she mentioned that she doesn't want you lot to sit around and worry, or possibly get sick yourselves. So she has decided to send you all on paid holiday to a resort in London for the week."

"Holiday!" they cried excitedly.

"What a caring and generous mistress we serve, yes!" Mey-Rin exclaimed.

"When are we leaving?" Finny asked.

"A car will be waiting as soon as you've packed your bags. I suggest you get a move on it." I told them.

They headed off to their quarters, returning a short time later sans work uniforms with their suitcases. I saw them off, then went upstairs to Violet's room.

 _Now that they are out of the house, I can oversee this transformation in peace._

 **\- Violet's POV -**

 _What the hell is going on? How long has it been?_

I'd been here for what seemed like forever. Surrounded by black, solid darkness, and nothing more. Unable to move, speak, or see…

 _I'm surrounded by nothing… I've become nothing._

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

Violet lay motionless in her bed, covered up to her shoulders by the blanket I had thrown over her. Her already-pale skin had become a bit lighter since last night, and near flawless. The skin around her eyes was almost totally black, as though a form of permanent eyeliner had been applied. The ends of her long black hair had faded to a deep violet.

 _Well, that's rather appropriate_ , I thought, finding the irony amusing.

I also noticed that her canine teeth had become sharper, and they now protruded slightly from under her top lip. I couldn't help but to stare and admire her beauty, even in her current state. I sat beside her and placed my hand on her head.

"My love… I apologize for losing control of myself. This isn't exactly how I wanted this to happen… but, there's no going back now. And you were eager to be transformed, after all. Even though it was rather unexpectedly…" I said quietly to her lifeless form.

 **\- Violet's POV -**

 _Sebastian? Is that really you? Can you hear me, too?_

Nothing.

 _Well… at least I know what's happening now… it's still a little scary though…_

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

I began re-playing a few memories in my mind as I sat next to her:

* * *

 _"Sebastian, come meet the newest Phantomhive," Lady Miranda said happily._

 _I entered the nursery, where she sat in a rocking chair, holding a small bundle in her arms. Earl Matthew stood behind her, smiling proudly. Miranda rose to her feet as I got closer. Carefully, she placed the small bundle in my arms._

 _"This is Violet," Miranda said._

 _I looked down at the tiny human I held. As she stared back up at me with wide, silvery eyes, I felt an odd jolt run through me._

* * *

 _It was the middle of the night, and Lady Miranda was still awake, tending to a 17-month-old crying Violet._

 _"I don't know what's wrong, I've tried everything," Miranda said, exhausted. "Maybe I should call the doctor. Sebastian, could you hold her for a moment while I get the phone?"_

 _She handed the fussy tot to me and started walking away. But the crying stopped. She froze, then turned around, a tired smile on her face._

 _"Well, that's not surprising."_

 _I looked away from the now-content child to Miranda, wondering what she meant._

* * *

 _It was another dark, stormy day. I stood with Violet in my arms, as the burial proceeded. She held two white roses in her hand. Charles was standing next to Carol and Leon, looking blank and emotionless, also holding two roses._

 _"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…" the reverend went on, reading from his bible, as a crack of lighting flashed, followed by thunder._

 _I studied Violet's face as she clung to me, observing the service. When the reverend closed his bible, Violet pointed to the ground, indicating she wanted to be put down. After I set her down, she walked first to her father's grave and set a rose upon it._

 _"Daddy," she whispered, gently patting the top of the coffin before going to her mother's grave._

 _"Mommy," she said quietly, setting the second rose and giving this coffin a half hug, then walking back to me, arms out._

 _After Charles set his roses atop their coffins and went back to Carol, the burial crew began lowering them into the ground._

* * *

I stopped the memories and turned to my mate.

"That last one was a rather depressing one… sorry." I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

 **\- Violet's POV -**

 _Oh my god. I saw them… I saw those memories. How…?_

I felt my emotions well up intensely, but that was it. No tears burning my eyes, no ache in my heart, nothing.

 _Oh yeh… I forgot, I don't seem to be connected to a body, at the moment…_

* * *

 **\- Regular POV -**

The next couple days were uneventful. Sebastian stayed near Violet, observing the progress of the transformation. While he sat at her bedside reading, the doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that could be," he said, slightly annoyed.

He made his way down to the foyer and opened the door to Charles.

"Earl Phantomhive, what a pleasant surprise, please come in," he said, stepping aside to let Charles by.

"Thank you, Sebastian." Charles entered the foyer and looked around. "How have things been around here?"

"Quite well, I would say," Sebastian replied. "What brings you all the way up here?"

"Well, I promised Violet that I would come visit as soon as I got the chance, and it just so happened to be today. My schedule is free for the moment. Is she available?"

 _There's no point in lying, he's a demon himself, and he already knows about everything_ , Sebastian thought. _I just hope he doesn't get angry about the timing of it._

"Miss Violet is undergoing the transformation to full-blooded demon," he stated.

Part of him expected Charles to become enraged, but he simply nodded.

"Oh, well. I suppose I might stop in some other time then. Please let her know that I did, though, and have her call me at her earliest convenience, will you?"

"Of course, my lord," Sebastian said with a slight bow.

"I'll be off then, and let you get back to tending to my sister. Until next time, Sebastian." With a tip of his hat, he walked out the door.

 _That went unexpectedly well_ , Sebastian thought, relieved. _I better go check on Violet._

As he entered the room, he felt a new energy surround him.

 _Could it be…? Already?_

He quickly went to Violet's side, removing his gloves on the way, and placed his marked hand on her shoulder. Seeing what he needed to see, he sat next to her, retrieving a small black box from his inner pocket. He opened it, revealing a black ring with a large, glowing purple gem set in it.

"My love… it's time to wake up now." Sebastian said, slipping the ring on Violet's ring finger.

Violet's eyes slowly opened, and Sebastian couldn't help but smirk.

"Again… quite fitting," he chuckled.

* * *

 **\- Violet's POV -**

"My love… it's time to wake up now." I heard Sebastian say.

 _Well, that would be great, but I can't-_

Wait. Something feels different. I'm actually able to move again. I moved my toes a bit, then slowly opened my eyes to see Sebastian sitting next to me.

"Again… quite fitting," he laughed lightly.

"Wha… what is?" I asked, my voice slightly raspy from the lengthy rest. My vision was strange and flashy, like a video skipping frames. I tried to sit up, but he gently pushed me back down.

"Please stay in bed until you've eaten," he said. "I'll bring you something."

Sebastian left the room, and I realized that I WAS pretty hungry. I still didn't know how long I'd been out for. _I could honestly go for a burger and fries, right now._

He returned with a small bottle containing a swirling silvery liquid and removed the cork before holding it out to me. I looked at him questioningly.

"It's bottled soul. Not as delicious as the fresh stuff, but it'll hold you over just fine," he said.

I snorted and laughed. "You want me to drink this?"

"Demons eat souls, darling. We have very little taste for human food. Just try it, you'll find it to be quite delectable."

I lifted the bottle to my mouth, then paused. "Uhm… you didn't kill this person yourself… did you?"

"Unfortunately, no. Not recently, anyway… this came from a small stash I keep on hand for emergencies."

I thought for a moment, then decided not to push the subject, as my stomach gave a low growl. I put the bottle to my lips and tipped it up, allowing some of the liquid to spill into my mouth, bracing myself for a foul taste. But to my surprise, it tasted sweet and… almost heavenly.

"I take it you like it?" Sebastian asked, seeing the stunned look on my face.

"It's so good!" I replied, quickly draining the bottle.

"I only harvest the highest quality," he said with a small smirk. "I won't have my lady consuming any less than the best, either."

 **\- Regular POV -**

Now that she had her strength and energy again, Violet decided to get up and take a bath before doing anything else. As she got the water running and started getting undressed, she caught sight of her reflection.

"Whoa," she said, seeing that her eyes had changed to a deep violet, as the ends of her hair had. The mark on her shoulder was extremely dark and very visible. Her skin was pale and smooth, and her nails were all a matte black. She also noticed the black around her eyes. "Looks like I won't need eyeliner anymore, either…"

After sinking into the hot, lilac-scented water, Violet also finally noticed the glowing ring on her finger.

"Sebastian!" she called, studying the stone.

"Yes, my love? Would you like help with your hair?"

"Yeh, sure… but I actually wanted to ask you about this ring."

Sebastian removed his tailcoat and gloves and rolled up his sleeves. "Mhm? What would you like to know?"

"Well… what does it mean? Where did it come from?"

He sat on the stool behind the tub and began gathering up Violet's hair to wash. "It is a small token that is given to the claimed mate of a demon once they are ready to be woken from their transformation slumber. The stone contains the claiming demon's power, so it is used in many ways, notably as a protective shield and beacon, should the two become separated for any reason. The color the stone takes depends on the ranks the claimant is a part of. Ironically, purple happens to be the most powerful of them. It's a wonder your parents named you Violet. I doubt they knew you were my marked mate when they chose the name for you, before you were born." Sebastian poured shampoo into his hands and began working it through her hair. "It also functions as a wedding ring, as humans call them… a visual signal that one is unavailable."

"It's really pretty…" Violet said, still enamored by the stone's color and glow. "Where did you find it, anyway? I doubt it came from anywhere up here in the mortal world…"

"Correct. I obtained this ring in the underworld after my original master informed me that my mate would be of Phantomhive descent."

Violet sat up on her knees and turned to him, soapy hair flopping down over her face. "Wait… grandpa Ciel knew about it?"

"Of course… he's the one who made the arrangements. However, _when_ it would happen was unknown, so I procured the ring immediately."

"How did he… WHY did he…" she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I just don't understand."

"It's all a part of the plan. You'll know more when the time is-"

In a flash, Violet was on her feet, Sebastian's face in her hands, pressing her forehead against his. "Sebastian… I don't want to hear that anymore. I've undergone the transformation. If I'm part of this big plan, don't you think I should know about it? How am I supposed to act accordingly when I don't even know…?"

Sebastian placed his hands on her hips and smiled. "Okay, darling. Perhaps it is time for you to know everything. Please allow me to finish washing your hair. Then I will contact your brother and make the proper arrangements."

 **** Revelations coming up in the next chapter! Ooooooo! :D ****


	10. Revelations II

*** So the whole idea for the underworld I describe here was inspired by the "Afterworld" music video by CKY. Just thought I would share that tidbit in case anyone was interested and wanted to check it out :) ***

 *** Also, I'll be updating probably only once a week for a bit, as I'll be busy with overtime for work and won't have much time to write new chapters so quickly. This is why I like staying ahead lol.***

Only a couple hours later, Violet paced back and forth in the foyer, anxiously waiting for Charles. Sebastian waited with her, chuckling at her impatience.

"No matter how many times you walk this way and that, it will not make him get here any sooner," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Violet stopped and stood still for a few moments, then started pacing again. "Where are the servants? I haven't heard any of them all day."

"I took the liberty of sending them on a paid holiday in London for the week while you were unconscious. I thought it would be better if I didn't have to keep an eye on them as well, while tending to you. They're due back in a couple more days."

"Ahh… right."

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" Violet charged towards the door and flung it open, ripping it entirely off the hinges in the process. "Oops…"

"Still edgy as always," Charles said, looking up at the door frame, now sans door. "That'll be a tough fix."

"Nonsense, I'll take care of it." Sebastian said, taking the door from Violet and lining it up on the frame. "My mistress, don't forget our training. You've got a great deal more strength now, and you must manage it more gracefully." With a couple clicks, the door was back in place, like new.

"Sorry… I forgot. I didn't think it would be that significant of an increase…" Violet replied, blushing slightly.

Charles took her hand and examined the ring on her finger. He let out a low whistle. "Wow, Sebastian. You weren't kidding when you said it was one hell of a stone. That'll pack a punch, when used."

" _If_ used," Sebastian replied.

"True. I can't say I know of anyone who would be foolish enough to cross you. Word is still going around about the blithering moron who did, years ago. I daresay no one is trying to end up the way _he_ …" Charles trailed off, a grim look on his face.

There were a few moments of tense silence as the two of them thought back to whatever it was they were talking about. Violet looked back and forth between them, confused,

"What are you guys talking about-?" she asked.

Charles snapped back to attention. "Nothing. Shall we be heading out now, then?"

* * *

A car took the three of them into downtown London, stopping in a dark alley. There was a single metal door that led into a rough-looking, twelve-story brick building. Charles approached it, tapping three times with his cane, then two more times, then four more times.

 _Some kind of code_ , Violet thought. She noted that there were a few broken windows above them on the second floor, as well as a broken fire escape. _I wonder who or what we could possibly be going here for…_

The door opened to let them in. Violet expected to see a guard or someone there holding it open, but there was no one. The interior of the first floor was no better than the outside of it. It appeared to be some kind of pub… Violet couldn't believe there were actually people drinking at the bar and standing around in groups, socializing. Leaking pipes dripped into puddles on the floor, tattered and peeling wallpaper hung down, and a group of rats scurried by.

"Eeep!" Violet screeched, jumping into Sebastian's arms.

Sebastian laughed. "A demon afraid of rats? I never thought I'd see such a thing."

Violet huffed and hopped back down. "I'm not scared… they just surprised me is all…"

"Of course, my lady."

They followed Charles through the pub, further down a hallway, into an area with several elevators. He tapped the one on the far left with the same code he'd tapped into the door in the alley. Within seconds, a bell rang out and the doors slid open. Violet was surprised they were even in working order.

Once they were all inside, the doors closed again, and the elevator car began shaking and plummeting downwards at an alarming speed. Violet gripped the rails on the wall and tried to stay on her feet.

"How- the hell- ?" she stammered, stumbling back and forth.

Finally, the car crashed to a stop, sending her flying towards the wall. Sebastian caught her right before she made contact with it.

"Sorry about that. I keep meaning to put in a request to have that fixed," Charles said casually, as they exited.

Violet's jaw dropped at the exquisite sight of their destination. Very unlike where they had entered through, the floors and walls were a black marble, and there were tall columns lining the hallway ahead. The ceilings were a few stories high, and made of glass. Beyond them, where one would expect to see blue sky, was a view of a red-orange glow, as well as a couple more towering skyscrapers.

"Charles… is this your office building?" Violet asked, noticing a large sign etched into the archway leading into the hall, which read _Phantomhive Inc._

"Not mine, per say… it's the Phantomhive family headquarters. This way, please."

They navigated through several more corridors until they finally stood in front of a large door at the very end of a hallway. There was an etching in this door that said _C. Phantomhive_.

 _Must be his office_ , Violet thought, as they entered the large room.

There were shelves lining the walls, holding many books and trinkets. A pool table to one side, a chess table to another. They approached an executive-looking desk at the head of the room, which sat in front of large, high windows. Outside, more orange-red glow provided a backdrop to an otherwise normal looking city.

They stopped in front of the desk. Violet noticed the chair was facing away from them. Charles cleared his throat.

"I've brought Miss Violet, as you've been expecting," he said.

 _Who is he talking to?_

"It's about time. I didn't think you'd ever return," came a voice. "How are you enjoying your second visit to the underworld?"

Violet gasped as the chair turned, and she saw the person occupying it.

"Sebastian… who is he…?" Violet whispered to Sebastian, who stood next to her. She held on to his arm nervously. _He looks like… but it couldn't be… could it?_

The person sitting at the desk was a young man, no older than 18. He wore an eye patch over his right eye, and there was a ring with a large blue diamond set in it on his left thumb.

"Surely you've told her about me, Sebastian," he spoke, leaning his head into one of his hands in mock boredom.

"I've told her about you, yes. I don't believe I mentioned you were still alive, though," Sebastian replied, a dark smile on his face.

The man stood and walked around the desk to stand in front of them. He held out a hand to Violet. "Very well. I am former earl Ciel Phantomhive. I run the Funtom Toy Company and manage the operations of the family as the queen's guard dog."

Violet shook his hand. "You're… grandfather Ciel? But how… wait, are you…?"

"A demon? Yes," he finished for her. Then he gestured towards a few chairs. "Why don't you have a seat, and we'll explain everything. I'll try to keep it brief. Sebastian, tea."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian said with a bow. Then he disappeared.

Charles and Violet sat down, while Ciel took his place behind his desk again.

"How did you end up becoming a demon? And how are you still in a contract with Sebastian if you have no soul for him to consume?" Violet started immediately, feeling more confused than ever.

"I suppose that would be a good place to start." Ciel said. "Somewhere during our first several years together, there was an accident, and I had to be changed. Sebastian was able to siphon my soul and preserve it in a bottle during the transformation. Had he not changed me, I would have died, and he wouldn't have been able to claim my soul."

"One goes to extreme measures to protect a soul as sweet as my young master's," Sebastian said, bringing in a tray of prepared tea and serving it.

"Okay… so, you've still got your soul then… in a way… I guess that answers that." Violet said.

"Not quite," Ciel said. "There's more to it. Allow me to explain further… a demon technically can't hold a contract with another demon, under normal circumstances, but since I was under contract during the transformation, it was modified, thanks to an unsecured loophole-"

"A rather inconvenient loophole that has since been closed up, to avoid similar incidents in the future." Sebastian interrupted.

"Yes. Per the original contract, I still hold possession of my soul…" he took a small bottle, much like the one Sebastian had given her, from a desk drawer and placed it on the desk. The silvery liquid swirled about. "… until revenge is taken upon the party responsible for the murder of my parents and the torture I endured. However… seeing as the original sacrifice was tainted, a second, additional sacrifice was offered. Can you guess what that might be?"

"Uhm… no…?" Violet answered, confusion setting in again.

"You. You are the second sacrifice." Ciel answered, picking up his tea.

"I still don't follow," Violet said, swirling her own cup around a bit before taking a sip.

"You are marked as his mate, are you not?" Ciel asked. "It sounds rather harmless, but in reality… you died when he changed you. He consumed your soul."

"So… I'm actually dead?" Violet asked, feeling slightly freaked out.

"Technically, yes. You probably don't notice much of a change since you were already half demon. Had you made the change from full-blooded human, it would be different." Ciel explained.

"Something I didn't know until years too late," Sebastian grumbled.

"What are you mumbling about?" Ciel shot a glare at Sebastian.

"I am merely saying that the soul of a half-demon is not near as satisfying as a human soul."

"Why are you complaining? You got your mate, didn't you?!" Ciel shouted.

"I'm not complaining in the least. I'm more than satisfied with the outcome. Miss Violet is perfection in every way possible, as though I molded her with my own hands. I'm lucky to have her as my own." Sebastian answered. He moved to Violet's side, placed a hand on her shoulder, and smirked. "My point being, I can't help but to think you proposed such terms on purpose, knowing you would come out with the upper hand."

Now Ciel grinned mischievously. "Your part of the deal was that you would receive your mate. The soul was just a bonus. While I didn't anticipate the family bloodline to definitely carry forward the demon trait, I still accounted for it as a possibility. Is it my fault you failed to think ahead about these things, as well?"

"Of course not, my lord. It was my own slip-up for not catching it," Sebastian responded.

Violet had been sitting silently, trying to process everything. She finally spoke up.

"Okay, so you have your soul in a bottle that Sebastian will eventually drink… I don't have a soul at all anymore… in fact, I'm technically dead… I was a second sacrifice… Sebastian didn't think ahead… where does this all tie in to taking down the crime ring, and the reason it's taking so long to do so?"

"That's simple. The updated contract clause was on hold until you turned 17, which is when Sebastian was able to make his move. That was the wish of your parents, wasn't it?" Ciel asked.

"Well, yes, but if he knew since I was 14 that I was marked, why didn't it take effect sooner?" Violet asked. "Did my parents know about this being a part of the contract?"

"Yes. Matthew and Miranda just didn't know it would end up being their own child. After you were born, they came for a visit to confirm that you were the marked one. While they didn't have a problem with it, they still wanted you to at least have a normal upbringing. That is why guidelines were set. They knew what responsibility you would be taking on." Ciel stated, draining his cup of tea.

"And that is why I was sent to serve the generations of my master's descendants, to keep watch for the marked one, as well as to keep busy. While I was technically not in an active contract, I was still bound to it, preventing me from forming another with someone else while waiting. It took quite a bit of patience, but it paid off." Sebastian said.

Ciel chuckled. "Sebastian didn't even know you were a half-demon, nor did he know you were his mate until he found a strategically-placed note from your parents. So much for an observant butler."

Sebastian glared at Ciel. "I don't see how I could _possibly_ have known, when Matthew and Miranda kept it hidden so well with some kind of cloaking energy. I _did_ know the connection I have with her is different from those with the _other_ Phantomhive children."

Ciel glared back at Sebastian for a moment before continuing. "Either way, the condition has been fulfilled, and the contract is in effect again. This is the time to end the war that has been going on between the Phantomhives and criminal rings for so long. There will be no more bloodshed on our side."

 **\- Violet's POV -**

 _I often wondered why Sebastian didn't stop the murders of our family members through this war. But now it makes sense… he couldn't. He wasn't under an active contract, so he couldn't act without grandpa Ciel's orders… this is exactly what he briefly explained to me in the graveyard that day. Now that I know more… I feel bad for being somewhat upset with him, thinking he just wasn't doing anything._

My sense of guilt started welling up as I sat there.

 **\- Regular POV -**

"Do you have any further questions, Violet?" Charles asked, rising from his chair.

"For now, no…" Violet replied, standing as well.

"My lord, will you be returning to the manor with us?" Sebastian asked Ciel.

"I suppose. Someone has to look after the manor while you and Violet are in London on that case for the queen. I don't think would be wise to leave it in the hands of those blithering fools for so long," Ciel answered, referring to the servants.

 _How does he know Mey-Rin, Baldroy, Finny, and Tanaka?_ Violet wondered.

She was about to ask as much, but Ciel must have noticed the expression on her face.

"In case you were wondering, I'm the one who took the three into the manor, when I lived there. Tanaka has been with our family for a very long time."

"But how are they…? Are they demons too?"

"No. However, due to their immense contributions to the numerous cases I've seen to for the queen, they were granted eternal life, as long as they are serving the Phantomhive family. They may not be the best service inside the manor, but their skills out on the battlefield are top notch." Ciel explained. "I wanted to keep them around to help fight this war."

Violet just nodded. _I guess at this point, I'm just not surprised anymore. It seems anything is possible…_

* * *

Violet, Ciel, and Sebastian were dropped off at the manor. Violet had asked if Charles would like to stay for a while, but he insisted he needed to get back for a meeting.

After Sebastian shut the door behind them, he turned to Ciel.

"Master, would you like me to show you to your old room?"

Ciel waved him off and started up the stairs. "No, I'll manage. You two have preparations to make for your trip."

Sebastian turned to Violet after Ciel disappeared.

"My love… you've been oddly quiet since we left master Ciel's. Are you alright?"

"I… I just… I feel bad… I was kind of upset with you, ever since Leon and Carol told me everything, and then what you told me when we visited my parents' graves… I wondered why you hadn't done anything to end the war, why it has been going on for so long… I briefly thought you just didn't care… and I have this really horrible feeling of guilt, because of it… and why the fuck am I crying? I thought demons didn't have emotions like this…! Something is wrong!" Violet cried. Tears streamed from her eyes as she put her hands over her face.

Sebastian pulled her close to him. "Darling… I don't blame you for feeling that way. You didn't know what was going on. I would expect you to feel some type of way about it. Please don't feel guilty. And most certainly don't cry over it." He paused to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "You're still newly changed, these things take a bit of time to fade. Even then, they don't fade completely. It's mainly solitary demons who are void of emotions. Once one finds their true love, it brings a new life to them. Emotions are necessary for them to protect their loved ones. Nothing is wrong with you."

Violet sniffled as she calmed down. "Oh…I'm sorry… I'm just so overwhelmed by all of this."

"I admit, you're taking on a lot in your first days as a full blood… in fact…" he turned and opened the front door, where the same messenger who had stopped by the last week stood, hand raised to knock. "Someone has brought a message."

"Your arrangements downtown have been made. Please find additional information at the River Road Inn. They'll expect you tonight." With a bow, he turned and left.

Sebastian closed the door again. "Are you still up for taking this case?"

"Not really… but I already said I would do it. I don't go back on my word. I suppose we better pack and head out."


	11. On The Job, Night 1

Later that evening, Sebastian and Violet walked through the door of the small inn, and headed to the service desk. There was a middle-aged man with a beard and a receding hairline sitting there, shuffling through a stack of papers. He looked up as they got closer.

"Ah, you must be Miss Amber! We've been expecting you and your colleague."

Violet stood there, confused, until the man slid an envelope across the desk to her, which was sealed with the queen's crest, and gave a subtle nod.

"You'll find everything you need for your stay in this packet. And here are the keys to your rooms. Upstairs to the left, at the very end. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you. Enjoy your stay."

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Violet said, taking the envelope and the keys from the desk.

Sebastian carried their luggage up the stairs and located the two rooms at the end of the hall. They opened one door, where he set the suitcases down, then opened the other door.

"We aren't actually going to sleep in separate rooms, are we?" Violet asked, looking slightly worried.

Sebastian snickered. "Sleep? Of course not, dear. One room for business, one room for rest. You don't honestly think I'd allow you to be out of my sights for an entire night, do you?"

"Well, I don't know…" she shrugged. "I have no clue how these cases work."

She sat on the edge of the bed and opened the envelope that the clerk had given her.

 _ **Thank you for your cooperation.**_

 _ **Please make your rounds after dark, on the main roads of downtown, focusing especially on areas around the pubs.**_

 _ **Remember to dress and act the part.**_

 _ **Keep your colleague nearby at all times to track you.**_

Violet turned the paper over, then checked the envelope for anything else.

"That's it? That's what I have to go on? I could have guessed as much! Wait, I don't actually have to _do_ anything with these men, do I?!"

"No, absolutely not. Should you successfully lure one back here, I will handle it from there." Sebastian said, opening a suitcase to unpack.

"Well, there's another problem… ' _Remember to dress and act the part_ '… all I have are my normal clothes. I doubt that'll do."

"Luckily, I anticipated as much," Sebastian replied, sounding a bit _too_ amused.

Violet turned to him, and saw that he was holding up the bra and skirt set he had insisted she buy when they had been out shopping a couple weeks ago. She felt her face grow hot.

"Oh my god. I forgot all about that. You want me to wear _that_? In _public_!?"

"My dear, if I had it my way, my eyes would be the only eyes to see you in this. But, since you are in service to the queen, I suppose I can wait awhile to have my fun. You'll have to wear it, if you want to be convincing enough."

Violet ran her hands through her hair. "Ugh… fine, fine… only cuz I want this to end… only for the queen."

She took the items from him and went into the bathroom and changed, also putting on her black thigh-high platform boots. The moment she stepped back out, Sebastian had her pinned against the wall, breathing heavily against her neck.

"Sebastian… as much as I would love for you to rip this off me again and have your way with me, we must get going. It's getting dark out, I hear the drunks arriving at the pubs. Get a hold of yourself."

He let out a low growl and pulled the bra down off her breasts, then ran his bare hands over them. He pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes glowing mischievously. "You have no idea how much I'm holding back right now. It's taking every ounce of my energy to restrain myself." His hands ran lower over her stomach and slipped under her skirt. "I hope you know what's going to happen after we're done out there tonight."

Violet gasped as his fingers explored her inner thighs. She felt an overpowering urge to rip his clothes off and have her own way with him.

"Se… Sebastian…" she choked out.

"I think the question is, can you resist this right now?" Sebastian said seductively, brushing his lips over hers.

In a split second, she found her strength and self-control, grabbed his wrist, and brought his hand up to her mouth. She lightly nibbled on the tips of his fingers, and as his eyes widened in excitement, she shoved him backwards onto the bed.

"I knew you couldn't," he smirked triumphantly, as Violet pinned his arms down on either side of his head, her eyes glowing a vivid purple. This only made him more excited.

She leaned down and nibbled on his bottom lip, smirking as another low growl escaped him. "We should be going now," she whispered into his ear.

Violet jumped off him and stood by the door before Sebastian could grab a hold of her. _He may be fast, but not fast enough._

"Well, Mr. Michaelis, how long are you going to keep me waiting? I didn't get all dressed up just to sit in this room all night," she said playfully.

He stood with a sigh of resignation, put his gloves back on, and headed to the door as well.

"I hope you know just how much trouble you're in, when we get back, _Mrs._ Michaelis," he stated, making her lifeless heart jump in her chest.

 _Wait... am I actually_ _ **officially**_ _Mrs. Michaelis?_ she wondered, realizing they'd never actually talked about that yet.

"I look forward to it," Violet replied with another smirk, following him out the door.

 _I'll bring it up later tonight, I guess._

They went down the stairs and found a side door that led to an empty alley.

"This is a more secure area to go over our plan," Sebastian said, looking up and down the way to make sure it really was all clear.

"I guess I'll start over on that corner by that pub, and make my way over to the next block through that road," Violet said, pointing to the pub on the corner across the street.

"Very well. I'll be watching you closely, so don't let your nerves interfere with your actions. It's probably best that you go back inside and leave through the front door. I'll go up to the roofs from here."

With that, he placed a kiss on her forehead and flew up to the roof. Violet went back inside and walked through the lobby and out the front door.

 _Thank god no one was in the lobby_ , she thought, remembering her current clothing… or lack thereof.

As she headed across the street, several people turned to look at her and whisper to each other. She tried to walk lightly, but her boots clomped on the ground so loudly, it was impossible.

Even as the sun was setting, Violet noticed storm clouds starting to roll in. Off in the distance, lightning flashed, and a rumble of thunder exploded.

 _Oh great, my first night on an investigation, and I'm gonna be caught in a storm… dressed like this…_

She stopped on the corner in front of the pub entrance and leaned seductively against a light post as a large group of drunk men were coming up from the opposite direction. One of the men walked towards her.

"Ay miss, get on out of here with that. No one here is interested in what you're selling."

Another one stepped up. "This a family neighborhood, move along!"

Then another. "Take that over the next block!"

Finally, an extremely intoxicated man stumbled forward. "We don't like it when streetwalkers loiter around this part of town." He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her. "Come on guys, let's take out the trash!"

As the other guys agreed, Violet felt intense anger boiling in her chest. Before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed the man's arm and twisted it around with her left hand, then shoved him face-first into the building. She brought her right hand up to his throat, where she started digging her nails into his flesh. The other men who had initially stepped forward were now backing away, faces filled with horror.

"Take out the trash, indeed," Violet growled into his ear, surprised at the sound of her own voice. As she spoke, she could feel the sharp points of her fangs against her lip. "Only _trash_ would think it's okay to put their hands on a woman like that."

The man was shaking and begging for mercy and apologizing as Violet dug her nails into his throat more, feeling them break through the first layers of skin. _Oooo, I quite like the feeling of that_ , she thought, as his cries grew more desperate. Just as she was about to go in for the kill, there was a familiar voice.

"Excuse me, miss."

Violet turned her head to see Sebastian standing there, dressed in a black button-down shirt, black leather fingerless gloves, and black pants. His hair was still the same, if not just slightly ruffled to resemble bed hair, and the top few buttons of the shirt were undone.

 _Holy shit… he's actually wearing different clothes!_

"If you are in the profession I believe you to be in, I'd like to request your company for the night," Sebastian said, pulling a folded stack of cash from his pocket, then looking at the other men, namely the one she was holding captive. "That is, unless you've made prior engagements..."

"Uh… no. I'm not busy." Violet said.

She hesitantly released the man from her grip, kicking him in the back as he stumbled away. She watched him for a moment, licking the minuscule drops of his blood from the tips of her nails.

 _Ew, this one's no good at all._

"Wonderful. I'd like for you to accompany me to my flat in the next town over. We can discuss your rates on the way." He held out his arm, and Violet took it, taking one last glance at the men before starting down the way.

The sky was now dark with both night and storm clouds. Rain had started falling lightly at first, but it was much heavier by the time Sebastian led her out of sight from the pub and around a corner into an alley.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"I don't know. I lost control when that bastard grabbed my arm and-"

"No. Not that. Before that. One of the men said 'take that over the next block'. I think we started on the wrong corner."

"What? I don't know, I guess. None of them were interested, they were all actually pretty angry about a hooker loitering on their street. Let's go over to the next block then and check it out."

"Not tonight. I think we've raised too much attention for one night, I don't want to risk someone recognizing you who may have been passing by at the time. We'll come back out tomorrow night."

"Do you think the one who said 'let's take out the trash' and attacked me could be a lead on these disappearances? Maybe they're doing something with the girls who are trying to run shop in their town." Violet asked with a sudden thought.

"I doubt it. This case seems to go beyond a group of drunk do-gooders. It's more intricate." Sebastian replied.

After a moment of silence, he pulled her against him.

"I must say, seeing you in such a rage excited me greatly," he growled. "You're really grabbing hold of your emotions like I taught you."

Without warning, he scooped her into his arms and flew up to the roof of the four-story building they had been standing by. A flash of lightning filled the sky, followed by a sharp crack of thunder. The rain continued to fall heavily.

"What was _that_ about?" Violet asked Sebastian.

"I told you that you were in trouble after we finished for the night," he said seductively, as he began unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way and removing the gloves.

"Up _here_?" she asked.

"Why not? Afraid of getting caught? That just adds to the thrill," he smirked.

 _Oh god, he looks so delicious…_

Before she could respond, Sebastian had her on her back and had pulled her bra down, her breasts spilling out over the top of it, and licked them a bit. Then he put her legs over his shoulders as he unbuttoned his pants.

 _Stop looking so fucking sexy, holy shit_ , Violet thought, studying him. The rain was dripping off his hair and trailing down his chest. She suddenly felt an intense, almost overwhelming desire burning in her chest. _Why are you going so slow? This is torture…_

As though he'd heard what she thought, Sebastian positioned himself above her with a mischievous grin. "Waiting for something you want so badly is difficult, isn't it?" he asked.

Violet moaned and nodded, digging her nails into the concrete below them as he finally pushed into her.

* * *

Soaked through from the rain, Violet and Sebastian crossed the dimly-lit street to the inn.

 _I can't believe we did that… on the roof of a building… in the middle of town… during a storm._ But it _had_ been exciting, as Sebastian had said. _I just hope no one heard us… though I doubt it, over all the rain and thunder._

They walked through the front door and were greeted by the desk clerk that had been their earlier.

"Good evening, Miss Am-" he stopped short, eyes wide.

Violet paused in front of the desk, noticing him staring at her in obvious shock.

"What the hell are you looking at?" she asked, then turned to Sebastian. "What the hell is he looking at?"

Sebastian chuckled and put an arm around her waist, guiding her towards the stairs. "I believe your current attire has something to do with it." He said.

"O-oh, shit…!" Violet said, blushing fiercely and trying to cover as much of herself as possible while she started up the stairs, cursing under her breath several more times.

"Mind your wandering eyes," Sebastian said sternly to the desk clerk, giving him a menacing look, as he'd noticed him still watching her as she departed. He turned and headed up the stairs after her.

As they changed from their wet clothes to dry ones, Violet flopped on the bed.

"So, I was just wondering… earlier, you called me Mrs. Michaelis… is that actually like... relevant?" she asked.

Sebastian laid next to her, pulling her into his arms. "Yes. In human terms, you are my wife. However, we need to make a trip to the underworld and inform the registrar to make it official. Just a formality."

"I love the sound of that," she said, cuddling up to him. "When do we have to do that?"

"We could do it after we are finished here," he replied. "I figured we could make a vacation of it. Perhaps a weekend getaway, of sorts. I could show you around, you can get a taste of the demon life in a proper setting. Which reminds me… we've yet to discover your true form."

Violet wanted to ask what that meant, but she felt herself slowly drifting off to sleep. As she did, she felt a new sense of hope and optimism, and dare she say, happiness. Simply knowing that she officially belonged to the man she had known her entire life, the man she ended up falling in love with, the man she lay next to, had given her a whole different outlook on the life she had attempted to end at one time.


	12. A Sad Memory

*** TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains reference to suicide. Please skip it if this will bother you. The last thing I want to do is upset anyone reading this :) ***

 *** Sebastian's POV ***

I played with Violet's hair as she fell asleep.

 _It won't be long until she won't need to sleep_ , I thought amusedly to myself, running my hand along her arm that rested on my chest. I placed a kiss on top of her head. _My beautiful mate._

My thoughts suddenly took a darker turn when I noticed the faint traces of scars on her arms. _I'll never forgive myself for being the reason behind these scars._

 *** Flashback to 2 years ago ***

 _"We just think it would be better this way for Violet," Carol tried to reason._

 _"It's not healthy for her to be so attached to you! The girl needs to start growing up!" Leon said, raising his voice slightly._

 _Sebastian's expression was of pure anger and disgust. "If you truly knew what was best for her, you would know that this is NOT a good idea!" he spat._

 _"That's not for you to decide! WE are the legal guardians of Violet, and WE make the decisions! You are under a contract that forbids you from interfering with her upbringing!" Leon shouted._

 _Sebastian slammed his hands down on Leon's desk and leaned over it towards him. "And YOU are well aware of the contract that will take effect on her 17th birthday-"_

 _"Not if I can help it!" Leon interrupted, standing from his chair._

 _"Am I to understand that you WANT the underworld's criminal ring to continue operating? You WANT your murdered family members' deaths to have been in vain? You don't want it to END?!" Sebastian growled, feeling his true form start shifting._

 _"Not at the expense of my granddaughter!"_

 _"Do you realize that, when Violet becomes their target, as a mortal, she will most likely be killed? Just the fact alone that she bears my mark is not enough to keep her safe!"_

 _Just then, they heard Violet come through the front door. "Sebastian! Can you come help me with something? It's starting to rain!" she called down the hall from the foyer._

 _Sebastian glared at Leon. "You're making a grave mistake."_

 _"This is not up for discussion. Violet will be well-protected in our care." Leon slowly walked to the door of the study. "Sebastian… you are dismissed from your service here. You are free to return to Ciel. I will ask that you do not return to this house unless, in an unlikely event, you are asked to by me or Carol."_

 _Sebastian walked towards the door, pausing in front of Leon. "I never thought I'd see the day when a fellow demon actually disgusts me," he said coldly._

 ** _* Sebastian's POV *_**

 _I felt my anger boiling over inside me as I walked out of the study and down the hall towards the foyer, Carol and Leon behind me._

 _"Sebastian, I can't get the- what's going on?" Violet asked, seeing the dark expressions on everyone's faces._

 _"Violet, dear, come with me to the garden. There's something we need to talk about," Carol said in a cautiously calm tone, gesturing for Violet to follow her._

 _I walked to the door and opened it, pausing briefly when Violet grabbed my arm._

 _"Where are you going?" she asked, looking up at me with worry filling her eyes. Then she looked to Carol and Leon again. "What's- ?"_

 _I couldn't stay to hear them tell her. I walked out the door and took off down the driveway, my true form taking over my human one as I ran. A new feeling boiled up in me, besides rage. A feeling I hadn't felt much before, if ever._ Sadness?

 _"Sebastian!"_

 _Even as far away as I was by now, I heard her calling me, voice cracked and broken._

 ** _* Regular POV *_**

 _Violet fell to her knees in the middle of the driveway, sobbing hysterically, the falling rain soaking her within seconds. Carol approached her and tried to help her back up._

 _"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she yelled, standing up and backing away._

 _"Violet, please try to-"_

 _"Fuck you! You're both dead to me!"_

 _With that, she took off into the house and ran her room. Once there, she punched a mirror that was on the wall by her closet, then punched the other one on her makeup counter. Shards of glass rained down around her, her fists dripping with blood. She stood, breathing heavily, watching the red liquid form small puddles by her feet._

 _Feeling satisfied with the results, she fell to her knees and felt her heart breaking more as she imagined Sebastian next to her, holding her in his arms, telling her everything would be okay._

You promised... _she thought, as tears spilled from her eyes again and splashed into the mix of blood and broken glass surrounding her._

 ** _* Sebastian's POV *_**

 _"What?! They sent you away!?"_

 _I stood in front of Ciel's desk and told him what happened._

 _"Fools! Stupid fools!" he said angrily, throwing down the papers he'd been reading. "Do they realize what they're doing?!"_

 _I said nothing. The sadness that had manifested when I was leaving the house was still weighing heavily on me._

 ** _* Regular POV *_**

 ** _\- A couple weeks later -_**

 _Violet laid on her bed, staring off blankly. She hadn't left her room since Sebastian left, nor had she eaten anything or gotten any decent sleep. Carol tried every day to bring her food and get her to unlock her door, but she didn't respond._

 _She ran her fingers over her arms, which were covered in dried blood and several cuts. Her eyes were puffy and red. She'd run out of tears to cry. The only thing she could do was stare off into space and feel her very soul shattering._

He promised... _she thought, causing a sob to escape from her lips._ He promised that my nightmares would never come true... but here I am. Alone. Without him.

 _As the sun began setting, Violet's eyelids grew heavy, and she fell into an uneasy sleep filled with images of Sebastian..._

 ** _* Sebastian's POV *_**

 _Around midnight, I was working on organizing some documents for Ciel, when I got a bad feeling about something. I didn't know why, or what, but I knew it must have something to do with Violet._

 ** _* Regular POV *_**

 ** _\- Midnight -_**

 _Violet awoke with a start. She'd had such a vivid dream of him. He was here. He held her. He kissed her tears away. It had seemed so real..._

I can't do this… I can't take this pain anymore…

 _Her eyes began stinging with new tears as she dragged herself into her bathroom._

 _Standing under the hot water of the shower, she scrubbed at her arms, then her face. After washing herself with soap, she got out, dried off, put on her night clothes, and dried her hair with the hairdryer. Her expression remained blank as she stared at her reflection, a hollow shell that a soul once occupied._

 _A moment later, Violet got up and picked up a shard of broken mirror from the floor, then returned to her bed. Without a second thought, she dug the sharp end of the glass into her wrist and dragged it down her arm. Blood gushed out all over her bed and covered her hands as she made to do the same to her other arm._

 _Once she was satisfied with the result, she laid down and waited to fall into an eternal slumber._

Mom… dad… I'll see you soon.

 ** _* Sebastian's POV *_**

If I can't connect to Violet's emotions or thoughts, how am I sensing something is wrong with her? _I wondered, running through the woods that would open to Leon's estate._ Maybe there's more power to the mark than I thought.

 _I jumped over the stone wall and landed in the yard to the side of the house, where the balcony to Violet's bedroom was, on the second floor. There was a dim light in her room, and I saw a shadow of someone standing in the window. I felt a strong sense of panic overtake me, for unknown reasons._

I don't care if Leon or Carol catch me, I need to at least see that she's okay.

 _With another quick jump, I landed on the balcony and ripped the door open that led to her room._

No… this can't be right at all.

 ** _* Regular POV *_**

 _"Bassy, where have you been? The only reason I took this assignment was to see youuuu!" came a familiar voice. The last voice he wanted to hear._

 _Sebastian ignored it and looked on in horror as Violet lay motionless in her blood-soaked bed, cinematic records spilling out._

 _"No…" he said, moving to sit next to her, taking a cold hand in his._

 _"Aren't you even going to say hello to me?!" the voice cried._

 _He turned to see Grell standing by, death scythe in one hand, reaper book in the other._

 _"Grell… what happened here? And where are Leon and Carol?" he growled._

 _"What do I look like, a babysitter? I was told there was a suicide to reap and bring back to headquarters. Imagine my disappointment when I found you were absent-"_

 _Sebastian got up and grabbed the book from Grell's hand, then looked at the page it was open to._

Violet…

 _"Your presence here is not needed. Miss Violet will not be dying tonight." Sebastian said, shoving the book back into his hands and returning to Violet's side._

 _"Sorry, Bassy, I've got orders to-"_

 _"NO! You will not TOUCH her soul! It belongs to ME!"_

 _Grell looked upset for a moment, then started his chainsaw and held it up. "I really can't stay and talk, I've got to be going. I won't hesitate to take you along with her, if you stand in my way."_

 _Just as he brought it down to cut Violet's records, Sebastian caught the saw blade between his hands, eyes glowing._

 _"Don't make this so difficult, sweet Bassy, you know that you and I are destined to be together!"_

 _He yanked the chainsaw out of Sebastian's grip and swung it around him towards the cinematic records. Just as it was about to make contact, a long pole with a clipper on the end shot between them, halting everything._

 _"My least favorite reaper, and demon scum both in the same room. How overwhelming," a voice drawled, causing both Grell and Sebastian to turn towards it._

 _"William! How nice of you to come! I'm trying to harvest this soul, and-"_

 _"Grell, put down your death scythe. There is nothing here to take." said William, pushing up his glasses with the clippers._

 _"But- but clearly there is! It says right here-" Grell replied, holding his book up._

 _"Did you bother doing additional research? I think not. The soul of Violet Phantomhive… there's not much of one there to begin with, but what IS there does, unfortunately, belong to Sebastian Michaelis." Will said flatly, reading from his own reaper book._

 _Suddenly, the bedroom door busted open, the frame ripping off the wall._

 _"What the hell is going on in here!" shouted Leon, stepping in, Carol following. "What-?"_

 _"Violet!" Carol cried, seeing her body on the bed._

 _Mey-Rin, Finny, Baldroy, and Tanaka appeared in the doorway, their expressions turning grim when they saw the scene._

 _Leon turned to Sebastian eyes lighting up, filled with fury. "You! You did this!" he spat._

 _Carol let out a scream as she sat next to Violet, seeing all the blood._

 _"Good evening, Leon. Carol. Though defending a demon is something I never wanted to stoop to, Mr. Michaelis did not do this. This young lady did it herself." said William._

 _"Is… is she…?" Leon asked, calm again, looking towards the bed._

 _"No. Her soul belongs to this demon, so we are unable to harvest it. Though giving credit to a demon is also below me, he arrived just in time to stop this bumbling idiot of a reaper from making a grave mistake." Will turned to Grell and started dragging him towards the balcony. "Grell, let's go. You've nearly caused me a great deal of overtime and paperwork. I've got mind to put you on suspension again."_

 _With that, they disappeared into the night._

 _Violet's cinematic records retreated back into her chest. Sebastian sat on the other side opposite Carol and picked up one of Violet's hands. He felt a faint pulse._

 _"You should get her to the hospital," he said, looking blankly at the unconscious girl._

 _Leon cleared his throat. "You came back because you knew something was wrong…?"_

 _"Yes," Sebastian replied, not taking his eyes off her._

 _"Maybe… it would be better if you heal her. Afterwards, I'd like for you to come to my study," Leon said, causing Sebastian to look to him. Leon gave a nod and left the room, calling for Carol to follow him, which she did._

 _After a few moments of silence, Sebastian gathered his senses, removed his gloves and spoke to the servants, who were still standing near the door. "Finny, I need water and towels to clean this up. Mey-Rin, please bring clean bedding in. Baldroy, burn the bedding that is on here now. Tanaka… you're fine as you are." With that, he carefully scooped Violet up and took her into the bathroom._

 _Once the door was closed, he moved to the center of the large bathroom and sat down, keeping Violet on his lap. He held her wrist for a moment, still detecting a weak pulse._

 _"Why, kitten… why would you do this to yourself, because of me…?" he asked softly, running his hands over her wounded arms._

 *** End of flashback ***

"Luckily, you have no memory of that," Sebastian whispered, pulling Violet closer.

 *** NOTE: There will be a second part to this flashback in a later chapter! ***


	13. On The Job, Night 2

*** Just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews! More exciting events coming up! :) ***

 *** Also, who am I kidding, I'll probably upload like twice a week, maybe more, if I have enough material lol. I've been highly motivated, lately, due to recent events :D ***

 *** One more note: Who all has seen the Book of the Atlantic OVA? I ordered the DVD a couple days ago and just received it today! Love it! Can't wait for the next anime season/OVA! ***

Sebastian and Violet decided to spend the day exploring, going into shops and visiting parks. Violet had never been to that part of town before, so it was an exciting venture. Sebastian had insisted that they wear some kind of disguises, since they _were_ on an investigation.

"It won't do any good to have someone recognize us while we're out at night," he'd said, tightening the strings of the corset he'd talked her into. "If we stick to the guise of nobles during the day, no one should suspect a thing."

"That makes sense and all, but…" Violet said, gripping the bed post. "Do you have to kill me in the process?! This thing is crushing me!"

Sebastian just chuckled. "Oh, how reminiscent this is of a certain young master so many years ago."

This caught her attention. "Grandfather Ciel? Okay, I gotta hear this. Tell!"

"I'll do better than that."

Sebastian replayed the memory in his mind of the time they had gone to investigate the Viscount Druitt, knowing that Violet could see it, as well. After it was over, Violet burst out laughing.

"Oh man! I'm gonna bust on him _so_ bad when we get home," she said breathlessly. "That is the _best_ thing I've seen in a long time!"

After her hair was in a proper style for a young noblewoman, and she had slipped into one of the dresses Carol had got for her during the whole "you're going to marry Ian" bit, they headed out.

"I must say, you look rather _dashing_ ," Violet said to Sebastian, holding on to his arm as they walked down the sidewalk.

Sebastian's hair was slicked back, and he wore a regular suit befitting of a nobleman. Complete with top hat and spectacles, he was almost unrecognizable.

"Thank you. If I may be honest, though, I am rather uncomfortable in such a state."

"Psh, at least your insides aren't being squeezed out of you with every breath you take," Violet retorted.

"You're so dramatic," he replied, amused.

As they walked, they nodded and smiled in greeting to the other couples they passed.

"Yeh well… you're so… _not_ dramatic." Violet faltered.

"Wonderful comeback, darling." Sebastian said in a tone that made it clear he had won this one, as he wore a shit-eating grin on his face.

After a while, they decided to stop and sit on a bench at the edge of a park, facing the back of a busy line of shops. There were vendors dropping off inventory, butchers bringing the scrap out to the dumpsters, and stray cats and dogs trying to get into those dumpsters to retrieve the scrap. A truck backed up to a clothing shop caught Violet's attention, as the doors to the trailer had been opened in a way that made it look like whoever was unloading the contents was trying to keep it unseen. As she looked closer, she could just make out through a small gap what appeared to be… women… being led out?

 _Hey, idiot, it's a clothing store. They're probably just mannequins_ , her mind stated.

Just as she was starting to think as much ( _because why would they hold women captive in a clothing store?_ ), she saw another being led out of the truck. And this one seemed to be fighting whoever was guiding her.

"Sebastian…" Violet said, trying to keep her mouth from moving. "Look at that truck over there. I think I saw them leading women out of it and into the shop."

Sebastian's eyes focused on the gap she had been looking through, then gave a subtle nod.

"Definitely worth looking into. We'll check it tonight while we're out."

 **\- Later that night -**

Violet reluctantly got dressed in her attire from the previous night.

"Should we go to that clothing shop first, or save that for last?" she asked Sebastian, who was standing by, back in his own regular attire. She cautiously stepped out of the bathroom in case he decided to attack her again.

"I believe checking the shop first would be a wise decision. It seems to be the most promising lead," he replied, surprisingly calm as she stood in front of him, practically wearing nothing. That's not to say his eyes weren't wandering hungrily over her, though.

"Let's be off then, I'm hoping this will give us a lead. I'd like to avoid having to lure some creepy dude into the room."

* * *

"I'll try to distract them, while you slip in through the door," Violet said, standing around the corner of the clothing shop they'd observed earlier. Sebastian nodded in agreement.

"Use your ring to summon me if you run in to any trouble," he instructed.

Violet turned to walk away, but stopped. "Uhm… how do I do that?" she asked, feeling quite stupid.

Sebastian took her left hand in his and brought it up between them. "Focus all of your energy into it. You'll know if it was successful. Try it right now."

Violet did as he said and pushed all the energy she had towards the stone. After a couple seconds, it started glowing, and the black band felt warm, but not too hot.

"Good. It works. You'll have nothing to worry about," he said. "Meet me back here in five minutes."

"How did I…?" she started asking, but he'd already turned and started walking away.

He headed around the other side of the building while Violet shook her confusion and walked around the corner to the front of the shop, where there were a couple workers standing guard at the entrance. She casually approached them, pulling a cigarette from behind her ear _(Where did that even come from?)_ and putting it to her lips.

"Either of you boys got a light?" she asked, trying her hardest to mimic the mannerisms of a hooker.

Both of the men fumbled around with their pockets and pulled lighters out, holding the flames up. Violet leaned in and lit the cigarette, then exhaled the smoke and leaned against the building.

"Thanks, doll. Ya know, I never noticed this shop before. What kinda clothes you selling?" she asked.

"Oh, we don't really sell-" one guy started. The other elbowed him sharply in the ribs and cut him off.

"Custom clothing and labels, mostly. We also provide mending services."

Thinking quickly, Violet discretely snagged a rip into the back of her skirt with her nails.

"Mending? How perfect. D'ya think you could fix this?" she asked, turning around and sticking her ass out so they could see her skirt where the rip was. "Had a client who got a bit too rough, reckon I shoulda charged him extra for the replacement cost."

"Uhh… yeh, that's an easy fix!" the first guy said, scratching the back of his neck and glancing at the second guy. "We can get that done now, can't we?"

"Uh of course! No problem at all!" he said, opening the door to the shop. "Come on in, and we'll get ya nice and fixed up!"

 _At least if these bastards try kidnapping me, Sebastian isn't too far,_ she thought, stepping into the shop, followed by the two men. _And I suppose I could take them on myself, if I had to._

"Come on in here, I've got a pair of shorts you can change into while I fix this," one of them said, handing her some shorts. "The changing room is there, bring your skirt over after you're done and we'll make it good as new!"

Violet slipped into one of the changing rooms and removed her skirt, replacing it with the shorts. Then she went back out and handed the first guy the skirt.

"Where'd your buddy go?" she asked.

"Went to fetch me a new needle. These ones are rather flimsy, truthfully," the guy said, pulling a spool of black thread from a drawer behind the counter. "No worries, we'll have this done in less than 10 minutes. If you'd fancy, have a look around. We've just put out a new line of summer wear."

Keeping her guard up, Violet decided to walk around the small shop a bit, just to seem less suspicious. While she had been looking around, the second guy had returned with a needle for the first guy, and he started fixing her skirt. As she looked over the clothes on racks, she discovered something that could possibly help the case.

 _The most minuscule of details._

She approached the counter with a pair of white workout shorts. "I found something I like! Surprising, because I usually order my clothes online," she said nonchalantly, placing the shorts on the counter. "I really like what you guys have, might have to shop here more often!"

The guy who was fixing her skirt looked up and smiled. "Glad to hear! We often have trouble figuring out what the young generation likes these days, so we face more failures than successes with this. It's worth it though! Ah, almost done!"

The second guy rung up the article of clothing she was buying, and as Violet paid for it, the first guy handed her skirt back.

"There ya are! That oughta hold," he chuckled, blushing.

"Thanks! How much do I owe you?" she asked.

"Ah… no charge! We don't mind helping out once in a while!" he replied, scratching the back of his neck again.

 _ **Where are you?**_

Violet, caught off guard by the sudden voice in her head, accidentally knocked a vase off the counter, causing it to fall and shatter on the floor.

 _What the hell was that?_

"You okay?" the second guy asked. They both looked concerned.

 _ **I'll be there in a moment.**_

"Uh, yeh. I just get these… random acid reflux attacks. It catches me by surprise and scares the piss outta me. I'm so sorry about the vase. I'll pay for that too… here…" she stammered, bending down to pick it up, noticing the first guy had come to the other side of the counter to help.

"No no, it's quite alright. Accidents happen…"

Their eyes met, and as she suddenly felt a dark and foreboding energy from him, the bell above the shop door rang, and someone came in.

"Would you happen to sell spare buttons? I seemed to have lost one off my coat today," said the voice.

She stood and turned towards the voice, broken vase shards in hand. He was carrying a tailcoat in his hands. Then he turned to her.

"Oh? Please, don't take offense to my question, but… do you happen to be…" he paused. "… of service?"

 _Is he gonna do this every night? Honestly…_

"I… I am! I just need to change into my skirt," she replied, giving him an amused yet annoyed look as she walked towards the changing rooms. "If you don't mind waiting a few minutes."

"Not at all," he said coolly.

"Sir, I've got just the buttons you are looking for," said the second man. "Here ye are. Do you require our mending services-"

"No," he said flatly, watching Violet as she disappeared through a curtain, trying to hide his jealousy and desire.

With that, he turned and walked out the door, standing outside until Violet came out, back in her skirt.

As soon as they walked a couple blocks down and around a corner, Sebastian pulled her into an alley _(Again?)_

"I can't help but to notice you used a bit of the seduction method to get in there," he said, eyes flashing.

"Like you never do?" Violet smirked in return. _Did I, though? I didn't think I did…_

"Not since I found out you were mine…" he said gruffly, putting his hands on either side of the wall he had her against. "I forbid you to use that method. I don't care what the situation is."

Violet giggled. "Alright, love. Please teach me how to play the part of a hooker without it, then?"

Sebastian slammed his fists into the wall. "I am serious. You are not to use that method. Beyond this job, I forbid it."

"Alright," she replied, still smirking and unaffected by his sudden rage. "If that's how it is…" She pulled the very short sleeve of her bra-like shirt down, exposing their mark. "Then, so are you… that is an order," she said, the mark glowing.

He growled. "Fine. I don't think it's necessary, anyway." He removed his hands from the wall and stepped back, running his hand down his face. "He really knows how to get one by, on me…" he mumbled.

"What?"

"Master Ciel. Curse his contract specifications."

"Uhhh…?"

"A demon isn't supposed to be able to order another demon to do anything…"

"Oh, well, if you _want_ to go fuck other bitches-"

Sebastian moved quickly and put his hand over her mouth. "No. My only problem is that I am getting orders from another demon, one that is considerably _less_ powerful than me… and yet, I abide." he said, moving away in resignation and giving her a defeated look. "It isn't supposed to be like this."

"It's probably cuz I'm your _mate_ , my love," she chuckled.

He grabbed her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. "And you better not ever forget that. You are with me… _forever_." Then he placed a desperate kiss on her lips, tongue demanding entrance at her lips.

 _Oh, I don't think I will forget…_ Violet thought, eyes rolling back as his tongue explored her mouth.

After he pulled away, she looked into his eyes and gave him a playful and teasing look. "Why don't we go back to the room… if it'll make you feel better, I'll let you give _me_ some orders…"


	14. On The Job, Night 3

*** Glad it's finally the weekend! Between work and sleep, I haven't had much time to sit down and really work on this. Exciting things are starting to happen though! ALSO, I have been taking notes and writing things here and there for a prequel to this story. It would take place in the time before/during Sebastian's contract with Ciel. Quite a few ideas, and I am trying to decide on the way I am going to tie it into this one.**

 *** TRIGGER WARNING: This is the second half of the flashback from earlier. Please skip the flashback part if reference to suicide will upset you.**

Sebastian held Violet in his arms as they lay in bed. She had fallen asleep after their rather passionate activities. He ran his hand up her arm, and the memories flooded through again, like a broken dam.

 *** Flashback ***

"Why, kitten… why would you do this to yourself, because of me…?" Sebastian whispered softly, running his hands over Violet's wounded arms.

The deep cuts that had been there were now gone as he removed his hands from her skin, leaving nothing but very faint scars. He brought his wrist to his mouth and pierced the skin with his fangs, then moved it to Violet's mouth so the blood dripped easily into her throat.

"This will help you recover quickly," he said, knowing she couldn't hear him. Somehow, talking out loud to her still-lifeless body was comforting.

After sealing the puncture marks on his wrist, Sebastian proceeded to carefully wash the dried blood away from her arms with a cloth, observing her pulse slowly getting stronger. Some color started returning to her face, and her breathing became deeper.

He stood up and carried her back out into her bedroom, where Mey-Rin had changed the bedding, and Finny had cleaned up any messes left anywhere around it.

"How is she?" Finny asked.

"She'll make a full recovery, in time. Mey-Rin, will you please put her in a fresh change of clothes? I have to go speak with Leon." Sebastian said, feeling the sadness start creeping over him again as he set the girl down on her bed.

 _He'll probably banish me forever from this manor, now._

"Yes, sir," Mey-Rin replied.

Finny followed Sebastian out into the hallway, closing the door behind them.

"Mr. Sebastian, Violet needs you here. You've got to make Leon and Carol understand that," Finny pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. "We've all been so worried about her, and then this happened. They can't send you away again, they just can't!"

Sebastian headed downstairs and down the hall, arriving to the door of the study. The door was open, and Leon sat at his desk, looking remorseful, and Carol sat by the fireplace, staring blankly into the flames. He walked over and stood in front of Leon's desk.

"We thought we would give her time to grieve… figured she would come around eventually. We never thought she would try anything like this." Leon said, not really looking up from his desk. "We made a mistake."

Sebastian stood there, feeling sadness being replaced by anger all over again. "A mistake… a MISTAKE? It took Violet being seconds away from death for you to realize that?!" he growled. "I TOLD YOU she would be in danger!"

"We didn't know she would be a danger to herself," Leon said, remaining unphased by his anger. "I admit it. She does need you, after all. You've been by her side her whole life. It was wrong of us to think we could change that."

Sebastian felt his anger dissipating, at the sound of these words. "What are you saying…?"

Leon finally looked up at him. "We would like for you to come back and return to Violet. If she feels so strongly about you that she tries to take her own life in your absence, we're in no position to change that." When Sebastian said nothing, he spoke again. "Well? Do we have a deal?"

"Of course," Sebastian replied with a bow, hiding a shocked, small, but victorious smirk.

"Sebastian. There's one more thing." Carol suddenly spoke, standing from the chair by the fireplace. "Normally, I would never consider this. But I don't want her to have to carry the burden of these events, in addition to everything else she's been through."

"What are you getting at, woman?" Leon asked from his desk.

"I… I think we should erase the memories of this from her mind before she wakes."

"Are you mad?!" Leon barked.

"I don't want her to remember such pain!" Carol cried. "She has enough to deal with as it is-"

"Please. Spare me your sugar coated concerns. You just don't want her to remember your… what did you call it? _Mistake._ The only thing you're worried about is that Violet may just hate you both and loathe you for trying to remove me from her life. Understandable. I daresay, having _one_ being in this room that already feels that way is enough." Sebastian said, eyes glowing. "Nonetheless, I will complete your desire, as I myself do not want her to remember the fact that I failed to defy your wishes and return sooner. What kind of demon leaves his young mate to get so close to the edge of death…?" He said the last part more to himself than anyone else, as he shook his head and left the study to go back to Violet.

He found Mey-Rin sitting beside her bed, putting a cool cloth on Violet's forehead.

"Mey-Rin, you are excused. I can take it from here. Thank you," Sebastian said.

"Yessir!" Mey-Rin blushed. She stood and quickly but quietly hurried by Sebastian and out the door, closing it behind her.

Sebastian sat beside Violet and rest his hand on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, my love. I'm sorry you had to go through this. I'm sorry you are unaware of our bond. I'm sorry your aunt and uncle are determined to break it. And I'm sorry for having to do this… but you would be better off not remembering any of this," he spoke softly.

With that, the room filled with darkness as Sebastian started erasing the last couple weeks from her memory.

 **\- The next morning -**

Sebastian had stayed by Violet's side all night, in case she woke up. Thankfully, she slept peacefully through the night.

 _Might as well carry on as usual, as though nothing ever happened,_ he thought to himself, as the clock showed a little after 8am. He stood and went to pull the curtains back, but caught a glimpse of his reflection in a nearby mirror. His hair was disheveled, tie undone, shirt wrinkled and stained. _This will not do at all. I look a disgraceful mess._

After a few swift movements of his hands, he looked back in the mirror. _That's better._

Pulling a fresh pair of white gloves from inside his tailcoat and slipping them on, he approached the window, pulled back the curtains, and turned towards the sleeping Violet.

"My lady, it is time to wake up."

Violet groaned, sluggishly rolled over, and sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "I feel like I've been asleep for days."

Sebastian's eyes briefly flashed. _You have no idea, kitten._

 *** End of flashback ***

He rest his cheek on the top of Violet's head, inhaling the scent of lilac from her hair and closing his eyes.

 _I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you,_ he thought. _I imagine the guilt would be several times worse than what I carry around now._

Careful not to wake her, Sebastian got out of bed, got dressed, then opened the window and hopped up onto the ledge.

"I shall return before you wake up, my love," he said quietly before jumping out into the night.

 **\- Next morning -**

"I forgot… I got something last night that could possibly help us out," Violet said, picking the bag up from where she'd tossed it last night. She pulled the shorts from it and held them up. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"Shorts?"

"Yes. But I noticed something. Look…" she held them out for him and pointed to an area. "See that tiny blood spot?"

Sebastian looked closer. Sure enough, there was a dot of blood the size of a needle point on the waistband.

"Ah, I see. I'm impressed that you caught that small detail."

In the blink of an eye, he had set up a small work area containing a computer and several devices attached to it.

"Please, allow me to run that sample through the international DNA database to see if it matches any of our missing persons," he said, retrieving the shorts from Violet and setting them on the desk. He took a dropper and dripped some liquid onto the spot, then gathered it back up and dripped it onto a thin film disk before inserting it into one of the devices. The computer screen flashed through several photos and bits of text, as the progress bar slowly filled. After a moment, the "Complete" status flashed, with a "View Results" button below it.

"How do you know how to do this stuff?" Violet asked, recalling some of the TV shows she'd seen about forensics.

He snickered and placed a finger under his eye as he spoke. "Do you forget how long I've been around? One does get bored after a while, when all the chores are done and preparations made… there is so much knowledge to be acquired. Even more so now, than there used to be."

"Yeh, I do tend to forget… how old are you, anyway?"

Her question fell on deaf ears, though, as Sebastian clicked to see the results. As they loaded, he picked up a file folder that sat on a table near the window.

"I paid a late night visit to the queen last night to gather some things that would be more helpful to the case. These are the files and photos of the missing women so far." He stated, handing Violet the folder. "If this sample matches any of them, we'll know we are going in the right direction with the investigation."

Violet opened the folder and thumbed through the files while Sebastian focused on the computer screen, reviewing the results.

"And it looks as though we have a match. Miss Emily Hayes. 23 years old. Reported missing last month by a friend. She has only one surviving relative, a younger sister named… Abigail."

Violet looked up and gasped as she saw the two photos on the screen. One of a woman with straight, shoulder-length blonde hair, and another younger girl with long, wavy brown hair. "Abby?! She never told me her sister was missing… or that she even had one…!" She thumbed through the files faster and removed the one she was looking for. "Why wouldn't she mention that? We tell each other everything."

"Hmm… yes, that is rather suspicious," Sebastian thought aloud, taking the file.

"No, I meant it's weird that it never came up, as much as we've told each other. I mean, you don't honestly think she would have any connection to all of this, do you? That's just too asinine."

"It's too soon to say, but it is a bit too odd to ignore…" Sebastian stood, and with a few swift movements, the equipment disappeared again. "It would make a little more sense, pertaining to the findings of my investigation of the shop last night, though. I snuck in through the loading area we observed yesterday, which leads to a basement. There were several doors chained shut from the outside, so I assume whatever is kept behind those doors is not meant to escape. A single stainless steel table stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by shelves of various medical equipment. My suspicion is that experiments are being performed on the women. What the nature of them are, I haven't figured out yet."

"I have no idea how you could make a connection to Abby with just that. Did you look in the rooms that were chained shut?"

"I don't want to say anything about that until I know for sure. I know she is your friend, after all. Unfortunately, no, I didn't look in the rooms. I figured it was too soon to draw such attention. There were a few men guarding the area, though it seems they were passed out after consuming large amounts of alcohol."

"Well, they sound reliable," Violet muttered. "I guess we should go back tonight."

"Actually, I think it would be best if we go out and try to get some answers from people on the streets, before we go to the shop again." Sebastian said.

"Damn… I was afraid you'd say that."

* * *

Once again, Violet was back in her skimpy clothes and walking down an alley towards the block over from the last bar she'd hung around in front of. Sebastian was keeping a close watch from the roofs. Even with that, she felt uneasy, like she was being followed by someone other than him.

 ** _There's someone following you. I'll keep an eye on him. You walk faster, there appears to be a few men coming down the block. You should try them._**

She jumped, startled, but kept walking and looked up, searching the roof tops. "Ay, you try running in heels like this!" she responded loudly, even though someone was apparently stalking her.

This must have amused him, because she heard a low chuckle in her mind. _**If you only knew. You'll see soon. Also, don't talk out loud, you'll look a bit odd, being alone. Talk to me through your mind like this.**_

 ** _You should have told me this was even possible_** , she thought back. _**What's the status on the creeper following me?**_

 _ **Really now, calling your beloved husband a creeper? I'm just watching out for you**_ , he replied, clearly just messing with her now.

 ** _Ugh… the guy you said is following me._ **She rolled her eyes.

 _ **He stopped, he's just standing in the middle of the alley right now.**_

 _ **Heh, that's not shady at all…**_ Violet replied, feeling a chill run through her.

She rounded the corner and almost ran right into a group of three men, who were obviously drunk.

 ** _That's them. Talk to them. See if you can get one of them back to the inn_** , Sebastian instructed her.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Any of you looking for some fun tonight?" she asked, switching to her hooker demeanor.

"Aye, it's my birthday! Do I get a discount?" the guy in the middle asked cheekily.

 ** _He's walking slowly towards you now._**

Violet cautiously glanced down the alley out of the corner of her eye. There was a dark figure slowly making its way down, as Sebastian said. "I'll do you one better. How about a freebie?"

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" the man said. His buddies clapped him on the back and went into a nearby bar, telling him to meet them there when he was done.

"Great! Come on, let's go." She headed away from the alley and down the road that wound around to the one the inn was on, with the man in tow.

 _ **I got him. We're going back to the inn**_ , she thought to Sebastian.

 _ **Your creeper must have lost interest, he's going the opposite direction now. I'll meet you there shortly.**_


	15. End of the Investigation I

Violet led the drunk man into the room that she and Sebastian hadn't been using. As she closed the door, she could feel a presence in the room that wasn't visible.

 _ **I'm here. Try to get answers first, if needed, I'll handle it,**_ came a voice in her head.

 ** _You know I'll have to be a bit flirty. Don't give me shit for it later,_** she replied.

 _ **Just don't let him touch you. That is my only condition. Otherwise, do what you have to.**_

Violet smirked and glanced around. _I'll make you eat those words, Mr. Michaelis._

"Lay down on the bed," she instructed the man, who happily obliged. She removed one of the straps from her skirt and bound his hands together to a post on the headboard, then did the same with his legs to the footboard.

"Ohoho, you're into that kind of stuff, are ya?" he asked. "I had a feeling you were one of those kinky ones. You can always tell." He laughed to himself.

"You have no idea, honey," she purred, now standing at the end of the bed. "I know what my men like."

Violet started undoing the hooks on the front of her top, letting her breasts pop out. She heard a growl in her mind.

 _ **Chill, he's not gonna touch me. I know where I'm going with this,**_ she thought to Sebastian, who was obviously getting agitated. She felt the presence in the room become heavier, but ignored it and continued.

"Can I be honest with you?" she asked sweetly, getting on the bed and straddling the man, while running her hands playfully over her breasts. An angry snarl roared through her head.

"Uh… uh yeh, why not?" he stuttered, his face getting flushed.

"I've been really upset lately. One of my best friends has disappeared, and it's been a month and a half since anyone has seen her," she drawled on, pouting slightly. "The real reason I'm not charging you is because I just wanted the company tonight to take my mind off it. But I still wanted to ask…" she leaned over to the nightstand, grabbing a few photos she'd placed in the drawer, making sure to push her breasts as close to his face as possible without actually touching him. "Have you seen this girl around anywhere? I'm _terribly_ worried."

The man focused on the photos and nodded. "Yeh, that's one of the terrier's girls," he said.

"The terrier? Who or what the hell is that?" Violet asked, standing up suddenly and losing her hooker demeanor.

"No one knows his real name, that's what he goes by. Also has a younger girl working with him, and a couple other guys. People think they're related, but who knows."

"People? Does everyone know about them?"

"No, just those of us who seek out the services that girls like you provide." Then he ogled her with wide, drunk eyes. "Which reminds me, are we gonna do this or what? I can help you take your mind off it all!"

A black cloud descended from the ceiling and took on a human form. Sebastian materialized and glared at the man.

"No, you are not going to _do this_. Tell us what else you know about this terrier," he growled.

The man's eyes were bulging, and his face was twisted in fear.

"Wh- what the hell? _Who_ are you!?" he cried, trying to get free from the restraints. "Please don't kill me! Are you cops? Please don't arrest me!"

"We know he does experiments on the girls. What are they for?" Sebastian asked, ignoring his pleas.

"Please let me go, I'll never tell anyone about anything, just let me go!" the man begged.

"We don't have time for this," Sebastian sighed, looking over at Violet as the man carried on. His eyes flashed, and he grinned mischievously as he approached her. "I didn't think you were one for games, love. I suppose I was wrong."

"So you caught that, did you?" she replied, licking her lips as he pulled her against him roughly.

He snickered, eyes lighting up. "Well played. Why don't we have a bit of fun _together_ now, hmm?" he asked, running a finger around teasingly on her chest. "Our guest seems like he could use a bit of _entertainment_ to calm down."

Before she could reply, Sebastian spun her towards the bed and pushed her against the footboard, which she grasped as he bent her over slightly. He reached under her skirt and pushed her panties aside before pushing himself into her wetness. Foggy ribbons of black wrapped around her legs and arms, preventing her from moving, and another crept up around her waist, snaking around her breasts.

"You've been very naughty, kitten. I don't like the fact that a pathetic human man has laid eyes on you in a way only I should," he growled from behind her, gripping her hips in his hands as he thrusted roughly into her. "What shall I ever do with you…"

Violet moaned in response, feeling her climax approaching swiftly due to his quickening pace. Both she and Sebastian's breathing became heavier when he leaned over and ran his tongue up the back of her neck.

"Ay, I'm still here, you know! You people are sick! I don't wanna watch this-" the man said, still looking horrified.

"Shut up!" Sebastian growled, another black tendril extending out and wrapping around the man's face, covering his mouth. "You had your chance to talk."

"Sebastian-" Violet cried, feeling her legs getting weak.

"Already, darling?" he asked, sounding amused. "I can't help but to think it excites you, having a perfect stranger watching."

He sunk his fangs into her neck and held her back against him as she moaned loudly again, and they both hit their climax, gasping for breath. The tendrils wrapped around the man's face and her body retreated back and disappeared. After he pulled out of her, Sebastian situated himself as Violet stood straight again and leaned back against him, bringing one of her arms up and around the back of his neck.

"Am I right?" he asked, referring to his previous statement.

"Maybe," Violet purred breathlessly, nuzzling her face against his neck. Then she looked back over at the man on the bed. "What are we gonna do with this loser?"

"Well, we can't very well let him leave, now, can we?" Sebastian responded, smirking. He cupped her breasts in his hands and ran his thumbs over her nipples teasingly.

"P-please, just untie me and let me go!" the man begged again. "I promise, I'll never say a word to anyone!"

Violet walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, buttoning her top back up in the process. Then she looked the man right in the eyes.

"You're going to tell us everything you know about this terrier guy. If you don't, you won't get out of here alive," she said firmly.

The man's eyes were wide as he nodded. "O-okay, okay. This is what I know…"

 *** A couple days later ***

"Wake up, my lady. It's about time we get going," came Sebastian's voice, waking Violet from her slumber.

She slowly opened her eyes, noticing he'd already pulled the curtains back. He stood at the end of the bed, already dressed in his usual attire.

"No disguises today?" she yawned, sitting up.

"No. I don't think they are necessary anymore. I believe we will be able to put an end to this tonight, and possibly head back to the manor. We've collected more than enough information to turn over to the queen."

Violet got out of bed and found her regular, non-hooker clothes. "Good… I've honestly had enough fun for a while." She checked herself in the mirror. "Speaking of fun… I wonder if our guest has woken up and left yet."

"Yes, I believe he has. I looked in this morning and he was gone."

"Poor sap. Good thing you erased his memories of everything that happened. He'll just think he drank too much and blacked out."

They headed out the door, pausing to double-check the other room, which was empty as thought. While they walked down the streets to the clothing shop, Sebastian spotted someone who appeared to be following them.

 ** _I think the same person who was following you the other night is at it again,_** he thought to her. **_I'm going to disappear to the roofs, let's see what this guy is up to._**

 ** _I guess. Better not to leave any loose ends,_** she thought back, sighing heavily.

They turned around a corner, which is when Sebastian jumped up to the roofs. Violet kept on walking though the alley by herself, eventually emerging onto the next street over.

 ** _He's definitely following you,_** Sebastian confirmed.

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

I watched Violet carefully as the creeper got closer and closer to her while she walked. _This guy must be involved with this case somehow._

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"My dear Bassy, what are you doing in this part of town?"

 _Oh… I do not have time for this._

I turned around to find Grell on the other side of the roof, death scythe perched against his shoulder, smiling his signature sharp-toothed grin.

"Not now, Grell. I've got to keep an eye on-" I stopped as I scanned the streets below. Violet was gone, and so was the creeper. A growl escaped me as I jumped to the next roof. _They couldn't have gotten that far in the few moments I looked away._

 ** _Where are you?_** he thought to her. Nothing. **_Use the ring! Where are you!?_**

"Where are you going? It's been two years since we've seen each other, and you're just going to take off?" Grell asked, following me as I jumped between rooftops.

"I've got to find Violet!" I growled back, feeling panic rising in me.

 ** _My love, answer me!_** Nothing again.

He landed in front of me. "Violet? Oh, that brat you work for… what's the big deal? Now that she's out of your hair, you'll have more free time-"

"She's my _mate_!" I raged, grabbing him by the lapels of his coat. "Now, _get out of my way_!"

"Your mate! That's horrible!" he cried, flailing his arms. "I knew you owned her soul, but I didn't think it was like _that_! Bassy, you wound me! I thought _I_ was your only love!"

I let him go and sighed, taking a moment to calm down. _I need to get this reaper off my back. Maybe even get him to help me. I'd hate to do this, but…_

"Grell," I said calmly. "Do you still have that camera of yours?"

Grell stopped his fit. "Yes, why?"

"If you'll help me, or at the very least get out of my way, I'll let you take _all_ the photos you want of me, in _any_ way you want."

Grell suddenly exploded into a nosebleed. " _Any_ way!? Oooooooh, the possibilities! You have a deal!" he exclaimed. "I'll help you!"

 **\- Regular POV -**

Grell and Sebastian had hopped from one roof to the next for about 20 minutes, with no luck finding Violet or her stalker. Finally, Sebastian stopped on one, Grell landing next to him.

"I'm sorry, Bassy, I haven't seen a trace of either of them," Grell said. "If we don't find them… do I still get to take your photoooos?"

"She's not out here anywhere, and I haven't gotten a response when trying to communicate with her. She's not dead, so… probably unconscious," Sebastian thought out loud, ignoring Grell's question. "That means she's probably been taken to…"

He suddenly took off, leaving Grell to hurry after him.

* * *

Violet woke up strapped down to a stainless steel table. There were three masked people standing around her, holding various medical instruments. She felt dizzy, and her body felt like it was burning.

"What the fuck is this shit?" she mumbled, examining the ties around her arms, legs, and waist. She realized her ring was missing, too.

"We finally got a hold of you," said one of the masked figures. _A female voice._

"It's been fun, it really has. But now it's time that you serve your purpose," said another, this time a male voice. He turned the weird saw-like thing on that he was holding and started moving closer.

Violet snorted. "That's what you think."

In the blink of an eye, and without hesitation, she used all her strength to break the straps around her wrists and ankles. After ripping the one off her waist, she shoved her hand out at the man who spoke last, which went straight through his stomach. As she ripped out his entrails, he gurgled and sputtered up blood, dropping the tools he had been holding, before collapsing to the ground.

The smaller one of the remaining two, whom Violet assumed was the female, had disappeared. She decided not to worry about that yet, and turned to the third person, who was backing up into a corner.

"Do it!" he shouted, looking across the room into another dark corner. "Do it now!"

 _Someone else is over there._

With one swift swipe of her sharp nails, Violet sliced his throat open, ripping his vocal cords out in the process. Blood sprayed from his severed jugular, splattering the surrounding walls and floor. She licked a few drops that had landed on her face near her mouth.

 _Mmm… this one's quite tasty,_ she thought, licking her lips again. Then, she bent down and ripped the mask off the guy.

"Tyler-?!" she exclaimed, seeing his face, which was expressionless and dead now. "What-?"

Violet looked over to the other guy across the room, who also laid lifeless on the floor. She went over and took his mask off, as well.

"James…" she whispered, backing up. "How the hell did you guys get mixed up in this…?"

Not paying attention, she backed into a shelf. Then something caught her eye. Her ring sat on it, amidst a pile of other jewelry she didn't recognize. _Must belong to the other women._

She snatched her ring from the shelf and put it back on her finger. Then she noticed a few syringes with a clear purple liquid in them laying on the floor. _I wonder if this is what he injected me with when he caught me,_ she thought, kneeling down and studying them.

Quickly slipping one into her boot, she stood and looked back at the bodies on the ground.

 _What is it that would make my friends turn against me like this?_

Violet thought back to the last time they all hung out, which was at her seventeenth birthday party, then to the few times before that. Nothing seemed weird. Just as she thought about calling Sebastian, she heard someone clapping slowly from the dark corner she'd totally forgotten about. She turned towards it.

"Great show," came a voice that sent chills down her spine. "I never thought I would see you do that much damage. They were weak though, so don't let that go to your head."

 _Son of a bitch…_


	16. End of the Investigation II

"I should have known _you_ would be behind something like this," Violet said, moving closer to the man.

He stepped out of the shadows into the light, so his face was now visible.

"Ah, Violet. It's been a couple years, unless you count me stalking you out on the streets. It doesn't surprise me in the least that it was you who has been meddling in my operations. You've obviously not learned your place yet." A sick smile spread across his face, causing Violet to shudder. He assessed the gruesome situation around them. "You've caused some problems for my men."

"What exactly was your purpose in this whole operation?" she asked, not taking her eyes off him.

"'Was'? I believe you mean 'is'…" he said, removing a chain from one of the doors and dragging a young woman out, holding on to her by the back of her neck. "My experiments have all been in the name of medical science. I've been trying to develop a drug that will keep women in line, make them completely obedient and subservient. Then, those women can be used in any way. I'd say prostitution would be the best use. Keeps 'em out of my way _and_ makes me money."

He pulled a syringe out of his pocket, much like the one she'd secretly picked up off the floor, except this one was filled with a clear blue liquid. He injected the girl with it, and her eyes became glazed over as she sunk to the ground.

"You're as disgusting as ever, Scotty. It's over for you." Violet said, glaring.

Before she could react, he had her on the ground, hands around her throat.

"You never did know when to keep your mouth shut!" he shouted, striking her across the face with the gun he held. She felt blood drip from the corner of her mouth. "Now, I'm going to kill you like I should have done a couple years ago!"

Scotty pressed the barrel of the gun to her forehead, laughing maniacally.

"Pull the trigger, you fucking coward!" Violet shouted back at him.

Without another thought, he did.

 **\- Violet's POV -**

 _Well, I'm not dead… not for real, anyway…_ I thought, laying there, playing the part of the corpse. _I wonder how long I should play this out…_

Then I figured I'd better call Sebastian to where I am. I focused all my energy into my ring, and felt the warmth returning from it, causing it to glow a bright purple. _He'll be here shortly._

Scotty was standing several feet away, facing away from me, lighting a cigarette. I felt the gunshot wound in my head seal up and disappear, as though it'd never been there. At that point, I couldn't help but to chuckle.

"Wha-?" Scotty muttered, turning to face me.

I opened my eyes, still giggling, and sat up.

"You- I just- you're supposed to be-" Scotty stammered, not sure what to make of the situation.

"Your weapons are no good on us," I smirked, blood still streaming down my chin. "As I told you… _it's over_."

The room started shaking, and the lights went out. I remained sitting where I was, laughing at Scotty, whose expression was the definition of terrified.

"He's heeeere," I said in a mocking, amused tone.

 **\- Regular POV -**

Sebastian kicked the steel door down, which also destroyed the wall around it. He'd already shifted into demon mode, and the look in his eyes made it clear he was out for blood.

"My love… what happened to you?" he asked, going straight to Violet. He leaned down and wiped her chin. "You should really be more careful. It worries me greatly when you disappear like that."

He pulled her up to stand next to him, and they both turned to Scotty, who was frozen to the spot in fear.

"Who is your friend, here?" Sebastian asked casually. "I don't believe we've met before."

"This is Scotty," Violet replied. "I think you've been wanting to meet him."

"Scotty…" he hissed, stepping closer to him. "Yes, I have been _very_ eager to make your acquaintance. I've had the pleasure of hearing about your brief _romance_ with my mate."

"Who- WHAT are you guys!?" Scotty sputtered.

"I think you have other things to worry about," Violet pointed out. "Like, what's about to _happen_ to _you_."

Sebastian pulled a handful of silver knives from within his coat and threw them at Scotty, pinning him against the wall. Then he turned to Violet.

"How shall we start this off, darling? Would you like me to rip out his throat now, or do you want to have some fun first?" he asked, an evil grin on his face.

She giggled and ran her finger down Sebastian's chest. "Let's have a bit of fun, before we kill him. It would be a shame to put such a foul human out of his misery so quickly."

She moved so she was in front of Scotty, then pulled the syringe from inside her boot. "I think we should give him a taste of his own medicine first…"

Jamming the needle into his neck, Violet pushed down on the plunger, injecting every last drop into his bloodstream, then stepped back. Moments later, he was writhing and screaming in pain before passing out, while she and Sebastian looked on, laughing. After it started wearing off and he woke up, she took something else from her boot: a small, vacuum-sealed flask. Sebastian's eyes widened.

"Is that…?"

"Yes," she smirked. "It is."

They both chuckled darkly.

"Scotty, you seem rather proficient in the field of medicine and chemicals. What do you know about liquid nitrogen?" she asked, opening the flask and pulling a syringe full.

"N-no! You're crazy!" he shouted, groggily eyeing the syringe in her hand.

"Well, the gases from liquid nitrogen displace oxygen, which is extremely dangerous when in confined quarters. It also freezes living tissue on contact. But, due to the Leidenfrost effect, freezing may be delayed if the surface temperature is greater than the liquid's boiling point." Violet stopped and thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it, it's more like burning rather than freezing. Either way, it's quite painful."

"You know if you do it, there will be dire consequences," Scotty threatened, as a last resort. His expression was still that of panic. "I'll-"

"You'll what?" Violet snarled, charging forward and punching him in the gut with all her strength, which caused him to spit up blood. "You'll be _dead_ soon, you fucking sod!"

"I'll get you in my next life," he said, spitting more blood. "You better believe that."

This time, Sebastian laughed. "He thinks he's moving on to the next life." He moved closer and stood next to Violet. "Once we consume your soul, that's the end of the line, for you. There's nothing, after."

"Bullshit!"

"Well, why don't you see for yourself, hm?" Violet said, once again jamming the needle into his neck. "This will burn considerably, as asphyxiation sets in. Your entire bloodstream will freeze. And you'll die rather slowly." She pushed down on the plunger and emptied the syringe into him.

Slowly, Scotty started gasping for air, a look of panic and pain on his face, which was turning blue. His body was shaking, and he seemed to be having a hard time moving. She and Sebastian watched in amusement as the life drained from his eyes, little by little. Moments later, he went completely still, his body going limp as he hung there, still pinned to the wall by the knives.

"Hm. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get to tear him apart as I've been wanting to do, but seeing you get your revenge was satisfying enough," Sebastian said, turning to Violet and putting his hands on her waist. "Shall we feast now, my love? His soul is still there."

"Yes," she replied, lightly biting his neck, causing him to emit a low growl of pleasure. "But I don't know how to do that."

They approached the lifeless Scotty.

"You'll know," Sebastian replied.

She followed his lead, as they both leaned in. Suddenly, she tasted it. A sweet, smooth taste, even better than the bottled soul Sebastian had given her after her transformation. She drew it towards her, closer and closer to her lips, then past them and into her mouth. The more she inhaled, the more energy she felt building up within her, a rather satisfying feeling.

As the last strands of Scotty's soul appeared, both Violet and Sebastian followed it to the very center, where their lips met. After a lengthy and heated kiss, they parted, and Violet licked her lips.

"I take it you enjoyed your first fresh soul consumption?" he asked, observing her expression.

"Yes. It was-"

"Beautiful! Oh, that was such an adorable scene! Though I can't deny that I feel a little jealous," a voice rang out.

Sebastian turned to face it, unsurprised, but Violet looked confused and ready to fight. He put a hand on her lower back to calm her.

"Grell. I didn't realize you were still here," Sebastian said, eyebrows raised.

"I was waiting outside for you to return, but I've got souls to reap, apparently. One James Kitsche, and one Tyler Maxwell," he replied, looking at his reaper book.

"James and Tyler… weren't they your friends, darling?"

"Yeh… I thought they were, anyway," Violet said. "Sebastian, who is this? Do you know him?" she then whispered, gesturing to Grell.

"Unfortunately, yes. He is a grim reaper. We have a bit of a history." Sebastian answered rolling his eyes slightly.

Grell laughed and wiggled his hips. "I am a reaper, but I wouldn't consider myself to be grim!"

As Grell began his reaping duties, Sebastian and Violet turned to the doors lining the walls.

"Oh Bassy! I'll be in touch to set up our little _photo shoot_!"

Violet looked at Sebastian. "What is he talking about?"

Sebastian sighed. "I'll explain later."

After opening the doors that were chained shut and letting the girls free, they went up the stairs and emerged out on the street, where people were going about their day as usual. Then she remembered that one of the masked figures, the girl, had gotten away.

"Did you happen to see anyone run out of here when you got here?" Violet asked Sebastian.

"No, not that I recall," he replied. "Why? Did someone escape?"

"Yeh… there was a woman behind one of those masks, and she took off when I broke out of the restraints."

"Is it safe to assume that woman happened to be your third friend, Abby?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't want to believe it, but I think it is…" she answered.

"We'll have to look into it further when we return home. I don't think we can do anything more here," he said.

Violet nodded. She wanted nothing more than to return home, back to the comfort and familiarity of the manor.

"May I ask you a question, love?" Sebastian asked suddenly.

"Yes," Violet said, kind of confused.

"Do you always carry flasks of cryogenic liquids around with you?" he asked, smirking.

"Maybe," she responded, returning the smirk.

* * *

Upon arriving back at the inn, Sebastian and Violet first went to the front desk. The man looked up as they approached, noticing how roughed-up Violet looked.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked, glancing warily at Sebastian.

"Just had a long day. I need you to send the memo to the queen. Case is basically closed. We're getting out of here." Violet said.

" _Basically_ closed?" the man repeated.

"Yeh. There's one loose end that needs to be tied up, but we are going to have to deal with it once we get home," Violet stated.

The man scribbled something down on a blank card and nodded. "I'll let her know right away," he said.

They headed up to their room, where Sebastian began packing immediately.

"You must be eager to get back home, as well," Violet remarked, noticing how quickly he was working.

"I must admit that I am. It's been a nice getaway, but I shudder to imagine what kind of shambles the manor may be in by now," Sebastian replied.

Violet stopped him as he continued working. "You know, you are my husband now. You don't need to serve as a butler anymore," she said, putting her arms around his neck and leaning her head on his shoulder.

He chuckled and put his arms around her as well. "Unfortunately, my love, I am still very much under contract to a certain former earl, and until it is fulfilled, I must continue serving as the Phantomhive butler."

"Figured it was worth a shot," she smiled. "But will you at least move in to my room so this all seems more official?"

"It would be highly inappropriate for a servant to share quarters with a noble," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

Violet looked up at him and laughed. "What part of this whole situation _is_ appropriate? I'm the wife of a demon who has served as my family's butler for decades. Centuries, even. I recently met my distant great grandfather who is still the same age as me. I found out my whole family has ties to the underworld and are at war with one of their crime rings. I just killed for the first time today, three people… two of which I thought were my best friends, one being my psycho ex. And you're concerned about the propriety of sharing a room with your _wife_ because you're seen as a servant? I'm sorry, Mr. Michaelis, but that won't cut it."

"I suppose either way, it would be inappropriate. A husband not sharing a room with his wife does seem a bit odd. If that is what you wish for me to do, then I will do it," Sebastian said, placing a hand over his heart.

"Yes. That is what I wish for you to do," Violet confirmed, placing her lips on his briefly. "Now, let's finish packing and get the hell out of here."

"Yes, my young mistress," he replied, kissing her before getting back to work.


	17. A Wedding?

*** Sorry if this one seems a bit short! It just happens to be the best cut-off point! An underworld adventure awaits, in the next chapter, as mentioned! Also, thank you to everyone for following/reviewing! It is much appreciated! I will try not to disappoint lol. ***

As soon as they arrived back at the manor that evening, Sebastian helped Violet out of the car, then ran inside to assess what possible damage had occurred in their absence. But as he walked around, he noticed everything seemed to be in perfect order, just as it had been when they left.

"Impressive," he muttered, staring disbelievingly as he returned to the foyer, where Violet stood. "Not a single trinket out of place."

"Maybe you underestimate them?" Violet asked, knowing full well that wasn't the case. Even she was wondering how they'd managed.

"Darling, we both know that isn't true," he replied, as though reading her mind.

"You're finally back," came the tired voice of Ciel. They looked up to the top of the stairs where he stood, looking impatient but relieved as he started down. "I can't even _begin_ to tell you what I had to deal with while you were gone."

"Everything looks to be in order, to me," Sebastian remarked.

"Yes, do you wonder why?! I basically had to play the part of head butler and inspect everything, oversee chores, and correct the errors made," Ciel said, gritting his teeth. "You'd think after so many years, they would have _improved_ , but it seems like they're just as _incompetent_ as ever!"

"Well, I appreciate the effort you put into supervising them, it seems to have paid off," Sebastian said. "I must say, I'm quite impressed with you, being you couldn't even manage to tie your own shoes some years ago-"

"Shut it, you," Ciel shot back, glaring. Then he turned to Violet. "Charles will be along shortly to accompany me back to headquarters. It's been a nice visit, but I'm ready to get the hell out of here."

"Leaving so soon? Oh…" Violet said, looking disappointed.

"Yes, why?" Ciel asked.

"Nothing. I was hoping you were going to hang around for a bit. I'd like to get to know you more, I mean, you are family, after all."

"Yes… of course. We _do_ have eternity to do so. But, I suppose I could drop in this weekend. Would that be alright?"

Violet brightened up. "Yes, that would be perfect!"

A car horn beeped outside, and the front door opened, revealing Charles.

"Violet, Sebastian, glad you're back. I hear you closed the case?" he asked.

"Yeh, just one thing we still need to take care of. But I don't expect it to be too much trouble." Violet replied.

"Good. I'm proud of you for handling that so quickly." Charles then turned to Ciel. "Are you ready to go?"

"Am I ever…" Ciel grumbled, placing his top hat on his head and walking towards the door. "I'll see you both this weekend," he said as he left, Charles following.

The door closed, and Violet and Sebastian were left standing there alone in the foyer. Violet gasped, causing Sebastian to jump.

"I know what we can do now!" she cried, giggling.

"Right now, really? What if the other servants hear-"

"Not _that_! Though I wouldn't mind-" Violet stopped, blushing. "We should move your stuff to my room, so it can be _our_ room."

"Yes, I suppose now is as good a time as any," Sebastian said.

They headed up the stairs, Sebastian brought the luggage from their trip into Violet's room, and then they proceeded back downstairs to Sebastian's room. When he opened the door and they stepped inside, Violet looked around, confused.

"Where… where's all your stuff?" she asked him, looking around the almost-empty room.

"I don't keep much, as far as ' _stuff_ '," he replied.

"Okay… well, what do you have that we gotta move?"

"Just a few extra articles of clothing."

Sebastian went over to the dresser and removed some stuff from the drawers, and Violet walked over to the wardrobe and started to open the doors.

"I wouldn't open that-" Sebastian started, but it was too late.

The second the doors were opened, several cats leapt out, meowing and scurrying about.

"What the-? Sebastian, why do you have _cats_ in your wardrobe closet?" Violet asked, covering her face as another one jumped out and launched itself off the top of her head.

"Ah… I'm sorry, my love. My young master is highly allergic, yet my love of cats has driven me to stash them secretly in my room," he said, scooping one of the cats up and scratching behind its ears. He braced himself for Violet to be angry, but she just started laughing.

"Oh my god, Sebastian. You don't have to hide them anymore," she giggled, bending down and picking one up that had been rubbing against her leg. "They can live in the house."

Sebastian looked at her with wide eyes. "But the young master-"

"Doesn't live here anymore," she interrupted. " _I_ do, and I say they can stay."

He looked around the room at about 8 cats. "All of them?"

Violet laughed again. "Yeh, sure, why not. This place is certainly big enough."

Sebastian set the cat down and made his way to Violet. "I believe you've just made me the happiest demon in the world," he smiled, putting his arms around her. "Well, almost…"

"Almost?" she asked, letting the cat she held jump away to the bed. "Well, what do I have to do to make you _officially_ the happiest demon in the world?"

"We need to pay a visit to the underworld so I can register you as my mate," he said, his forehead against hers. "Most don't even bother with it, because the mark and the bite are enough. But… I want to do this right. You're my wife, and the underworld needs to recognize that. Will you still do that for me?"

"Awww, Sebastian… of course," Violet said, feeling a familiar fluttery feeling in her chest. "I would do anything for you… I love you."

She put a hand on his cheek and brushed her lips over his. Wanting more, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, causing a small moan to escape her. Feeling the familiar jolt go through him that he was quite used to by now, Sebastian backed Violet up until the back of her knees hit the bed, then pushed her back onto it.

"I believe this room needs to see _some_ kind of action before I leave it," he said seductively, undoing his tie and leaning over her.

As his hands slid under her shirt to remove it, Violet couldn't help but notice how awkward it felt.

"Sebastian," she whispered, looking around the room. "This is kinda weird. The room isn't the _only_ thing seeing this action..."

He looked up as well, and every pair of cat eyes in the room was on them. One cat even meowed questioningly.

"I see," he said. He got up and opened the door, and they all scurried out into the manor in various directions. Once the last tail disappeared from sight, he shut the door again and went back to the bed. "Now… where were we?"

Violet bit her lip and took his hands, sliding them back under her shirt. "I believe it was somewhere around here."

With a lust-filled snarl, shreds of clothing flew about, and a few cats that had hung back to sit in front of the closed door darted off down the hall as the manor began to shake. All the way on the other side of it, the four servants had been gathered in a parlor, going over what chores had been done, and what still needed to be done, when the growls and moans reached their ears.

"Ahhhh, I just remembered, tonight is errand night, yes!" shouted Mey-Rin, sprouting a nose bleed.

"Y-yeh, it is, isn't it?" agreed Finny, following suit.

"I think we could all do with going into town for a while!" Bard concurred loudly.

All three of them took off flailing towards the nearest door, knowing full well it was not errand day, but not caring much at all.

"We shouldn't be hearing this!" Mey-Rin cried from off in the distance.

"Hoh, hoh, hoh," Tanaka added, trailing behind them with his tea.

* * *

Violet opened her eyes to an early morning light shining through the window. She looked to her side and saw Sebastian cuddled up next to her.

 _He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping,_ she thought with a smile, pushing a bit of his hair out of his face. _Almost harmless… and angelic._

As though he had heard her thought, one of his eyes opened. "Keep dreaming, my love. You and I both know I'm none of those things," he grinned.

"Psh, you're adorable when you're sleeping."

Now he rolled onto his back and pulled her onto his chest. "That may be one reason I don't sleep very often."

Violet giggled and kissed his cheek. "As long as you fall asleep with me once in a while, I'll be happy."

She looked around and remembered that they had fallen asleep in Sebastian's soon-to-be former room after having some fun.

"So, what say you that we get up and get your stuff moved to _our_ room, seeing as we kinda failed that mission last night?" she asked, getting up and looking for her clothes, only to remember they had been shredded.

"Yes, we should do that. Then, perhaps, we should make that little trip to take care of that paperwork." He got up and, in the blink of an eye, was dressed. Violet looked at him with a playful glare.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy for _you_ , but you shredded my clothes last night. Would you mind-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Sebastian was holding a fresh change of clothes for her.

"Damn, what _can't_ you do?" she asked, taking the clothes and putting them on.

"I am simply one hell of a-"

"Husband," Violet finished with a grin, kissing his lips.

They started downstairs, Sebastian checking his pocket watch.

"I would _hope_ they are on schedule, today, seeing as I didn't give them the morning briefing they seem to require," he muttered to himself.

"I'm sure they're fine," Violet tried to reassure him, not so sure herself, though.

They entered the kitchen where all four of the servants were standing around the center counter island, looking at a plate of a charred, blackened something.

"Sebastian sir! Miss Violet! You're finally up!" cried Mey-Rin, her face glowing red.

"I'd think you two would have been sleeping for a while longer, after last night," Bard commented, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Violet asked, walking over to him. She took the cigarette from his mouth and pulled a lengthy inhale from it before handing it back.

"Last night we heard you-" Finny started, but Mey-Rin put a hand over his mouth.

"- were really tired, so we left to do errands and let you guys rest up after your long trip!" she filled in, trying to avoid eye contact with them as her face grew redder.

"Hmm… errands weren't on the schedule for last night," Sebastian remarked with a frown.

"Yeh. We didn't even get to sleep until- _oh_ …" Violet trailed off, her own face turning red. Then she whispered something into Sebastian's ear, causing him to go slightly red as well, but it didn't last. He simply smirked devilishly.

"I do apologize if the noise last night made you feel uncomfortable," he said, placing a hand over his chest. "We will try to be more conscious of it in the future."

"No need to explain yourself, you two are gonna be married, after all. I suppose that's what you do, when you're in love," Bard said, crossing his arms as he puffed on his cigarette.

 _Married? Oh shit, do they even know about any of this?_ Violet thought, glancing at the ring on her finger.

"How did you know that?" Violet asked, blushing again.

"The ring on your finger, sending us on a paid vacation for a week. That's _insanely_ coincidental. You were never sick, were you? Sebastian obviously had a whole romantic thing planned for you two so he could pop the question, am I right?" Bard asked.

 _ **Just say yes,**_ Sebastian urged in her mind.

"Y-yes, you caught us," Violet said. "That's exactly what happened. He told you I was sick? That explains it…" she continued, playing along.

"I KNEW IT!" Finny shouted, grinning widely, his eyes lighting up. "It's about TIME Sebastian found someone to settle down with! Especially if it's one of our mistresses!"

Violet looked to Sebastian, who just shrugged and smirked. Her face was still glowing red from embarrassment.

"I- I'm sorry you had to hear that, though… it was just a long trip, and-"

"Can I help with your wedding?!" shouted Mey-Rin, practically getting another nose bleed.

 _A wedding? Who said anything about a-_

"Me too!" shouted Finny. "I can help with the flowers and decorations!"

"I uh… I-" Violet tried to do damage control, rather unsuccessfully.

"I'll bake the cake! I have so many ideas!" piped up Bard.

"Uhhh… S- Sebastian?" Violet stammered, overwhelmed, looking over to him.

Surprisingly, he had a smile on his face.

"I think that would be a lovely idea," he spoke, rather calmly. "I believe the mistress and I could use all the help we can get."

Mey-Rin squealed in excitement. "This is going to be the _best_ wedding ever, yes!"

Finny concurred as well. "I can finally experiment with cross-breeding flowers, now! I promise to come up with something you'll love!"

"I assume I should leave the flamethrower out of it, then?" Bard asked, taking a large gun off his back and handing it to Sebastian.

"Yes. I would be honored to have you all help with the planning of our wedding," Sebastian said, directing a smirk at the worried-looking Violet.

"Hoh hoh hoh," Tanaka said rather cheerfully, sitting upon a stool with his tea.


	18. Registration

*** So I finally have an open schedule, and I'll be able to upload regularly. I kinda feel like this one is a little droll, but it's one of those things that needed to be done. I am finally ahead on writing, so after this one, they'll be more exciting again lol. ***

Violet walked close to Sebastian's side as they turned down the alley and approached the door that led into the dingy pub. He tapped a code into it, and the door flew open.

"We'll be taking a different elevator this time," he stated, leading her to the elevator across from the one they'd taken the last time.

After another code was tapped, the elevator door slid open, and they went in.

"Is this one gonna crash land as well?" Violet wondered out loud, finding the rail along the wall and holding on to it before they even started moving.

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder and snickered. "I guess we'll find out."

Much to her relief, the elevator landed without so much as a bump. However, her jaw dropped when they stepped out into a long hallway, much like the one they'd been in before, except this one had many doors and service windows lining the walls, and many people- no, demons?- were milling about.

Violet noticed that, as they navigated down the way, many of the beings were whispering and watching them. It even seemed that a few ducked behind something in fear. She'd also noticed that some were in human form, and some in what she assumed was their true form.

 _Either way, I'm getting weirded out by everyone staring_ , she thought, clinging to Sebastian's arm.

"Why is everyone watching us and whispering?" she asked him quietly as they kept walking further down the hall.

"It's not often you see a demon of my stature wandering through these halls," he replied with a smirk. "Especially if I'm not with the other high-ranking ones. Plus, it's been awhile since I've been on this side of the underworld."

Violet nodded silently and decided it was best to keep her eyes on the floor. After what seemed like miles more of hallway, they finally reached a set of double doors that was roped off, and two clean-cut men in black stood guard outside of it.

"Mr. Michaelis, what brings you all the way down here?" one of them asked, unhooking a side of the rope to let them through.

"I've got some business to tend to with Lucifer," Sebastian replied, looking surprisingly happy.

The man noticed this, then looked to Violet next to him. "Oh? I see," he said, while he and the second man opened the doors for them.

Before they'd even gone through the doors, someone burst out into the hallway from a side office.

"Mr. Michaelis! How the hell are ya? It's been awhile, eh?" said the someone, an older guy with dark brown hair, which was fading to gray.

"Ah, Mr. Stilles. Yes, it has. I'd like to stay and catch up, but I've got some business to tend to with-"

"I know, boss man told me you'd be stopping by for something! He's not in right now, asked me to take care of it myself! Please, come into my office!" Mr. Stilles exclaimed, a big smile across his face. He also seemed a little nervous as he lit a cigarette.

Sebastian and Violet went in and sat down in the leather chairs across from his desk as Mr. Stilles took his seat behind it.

"So, what are we in for today? Soul collection waiver? Breach of contract claim? Mortal recognition infraction?"

"Actually, I'm here to register my wife," Sebastian said, once again looking oddly happy.

This must have surprised him, because Mr. Stilles choked on the smoke he had been inhaling. "Your wife? I thought you had that all lined up with that Phantomhive girl when she gets older."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, and Violet chuckled.

"Well, I'm not really sure how much older I should be," Violet said.

Mr. Stilles looked at her in shock. " _You're_ Violet Phantomhive? I'll be damned, my sense of time must be really bad. I had it in my mind that you were still a child! You've grown into such a beautiful young woman! How old are you these days?"

"I'm seventeen," Violet answered, feeling her cheeks glow.

"Seventeen… ah, yes, that seems more accurate." Then he turned to Sebastian. "Mr. Michaelis, I hope you won't think this to be an offhand comment, but she's still technically a minor, even in the demon world. Are you willing to risk the backlash this may cause? Even if it is only a year short of legal, many may scoff about it, rather publicly. A demon of your ranks should be careful."

"So let it be known that this is a perfectly legal relationship, and I've done nothing but follow the orders that her parents left," Sebastian replied, sounding a bit annoyed. He took the note out of his inner pocket and slid it across the desk to him. "I think you'll find everything to be in order."

Mr. Stilles read it and handed it back. "Nonetheless, some might think-"

"Then let them _think_ ," Sebastian interrupted. "The opinions of others hold little value to me."

"I just hope you know what you're doing, and what you're risking."

"Stilles, have you ever known me to make a bad decision?" Sebastian scoffed, handing a pen to Violet.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then it's settled. People may say what they want. Those who know the truth are the only ones who matter anyway, right? Now, if you're quite done, I'd like to get to the paperwork. We do have other obligations this evening, after all."

"Of course... my apologies," he said, placing a stack of paperwork on the desk.

After they'd finished filling out the many forms, Mr. Stilles brought them to a large room that looked to be some kind of court room. A tall desk stood at the front, with two somewhat smaller ones on either side of it. There were jury benches on the sides of the room, along with rows of benches towards the back, which were separated from everything else by a gate. Mr. Stilles directed them to a bench in the front row.

"The judge will be in shortly. Please wait here. I've already sent your paperwork back. Is there anything else I can assist you with, Mr. Michaelis?" he asked.

"No, that will do, thank you," Sebastian replied as they sat down.

Mr. Stilles looked as though he wanted to say something, but decided not to. Instead, he turned and walked out.

"What's this place?" Violet whispered nervously to Sebastian.

"It's another formality. A judge of the high court is just going to verify that your mark matches mine. It prevents the theft of another demon's mate."

"That happens a lot?"

"Pretty often. It's not always theft, though. Some demons have no interest in acknowledging the bond they have with another who bears their mark, so they abandon them, rather than dissolving the bond with the court. This leaves the marked one an open target to other demons. Other times, while a mortal is undergoing the transformation, another demon can interfere and try to steal them, or they can double-mark. That means the primary will either have to live with sharing his or her mate, or they will fight to the death until one prevails. It's rarely the former, as demons do not like to share."

Violet shuddered. "Sounds… scary. And why would a demon abandon their marked mate? That sounds depressing."

"Mostly inconvenient. Some just don't want to pursue that kind of life, especially new bloods. I myself never entertained the idea, until I came under service to the Phantomhive household."

Violet suddenly had a terrifying thought that made her heart ache. "What if you decide you don't want to be with me anymore? Would you… just leave?"

Surprisingly, Sebastian laughed. "That won't happen. I've already claimed you, it's impossible. If I didn't have any interest, I would have left when you were still young." When she looked at him questioningly, he further explained. "See, this is another area of life where demons surpass humans. A demon's love is eternal. Once bound to another, nothing can separate them, except death. Even then, though, it really isn't separation. That is why it can take centuries for a demon to acquire a marked mate. It takes a lot of careful consideration and calculation to ensure the eternal bond-"

Just then, a door opened behind the judge's stand, and, to Violet's surprise, a frail looking old man entered the room and went to the stand. He seemed to drown in the robes he wore. Sebastian stood, so Violet did the same.

"Please approach the bench," the judge squeaked, sitting down.

The two of them went through the gate and stopped in front of the bench. The judge was looking over the stack of papers they'd filled out earlier, then he looked down at them over the top of his spectacles.

"Mr. Michaelis, I must say, it's nice to have you in here for something other than a disciplinary hearing," he remarked.

Violet glanced sideways at Sebastian, who was smirking slightly.

"Yes, your honor, it _is_ nice to be here for something other than that," he said.

 _Disciplinary? What kind of trouble has he gotten into before?_ she wondered.

The judge cleared his throat. "Anyway, you're here to register your wife. It looks like you've already changed her, so we can skip over all that verbatim. Please, show me your marks."

Sebastian removed his left glove, and Violet pulled the neckline of her shirt off her shoulder. The judge leaned over the stand to get a closer look.

"Go ahead, then," he said, waving a hand.

While Violet stood, confused, Sebastian placed his contract seal over the one on her shoulder, and it glowed a bright purple.

"Alright, very well," the judge said, sitting back down and stamping something onto the papers. "Violet Phantomhive is now registered as Violet Michaelis, wife of Sebastian. Congratulations, and best wishes." With that, he got up and made his way out.

"That's it?" Violet asked, fixing her shirt again.

"That's it," Sebastian replied, putting his glove back on and pulling her into a kiss.

As they made their way back to the bay of elevators, Sebastian looked like he had something on his mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Violet asked him curiously.

"Remember, initially, that the idea was to do this registration, then take a bit of a vacation here. But I'm thinking that maybe we should save that for the honeymoon. There is a wedding to plan, after all."

"Ohh, that's right. You know, if you don't want to do a wedding, we don't _have_ to. I mean, everything is already official."

"Well, we've already told the servants. And surely your family will insist on it, to keep up appearance to the public. Besides, doesn't every girl spend her childhood years dreaming of her wedding day?" he asked, looking amused.

"I don't know about 'keeping up appearance to the public'… from an outsider's point of view, I'm marrying my butler, and that would just be a huge scandal among all the high class tightwads," she scoffed. "And you were there, I never spent my time on such nonsense… playing house and pretend weddings and all that shit… _pffft_."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to say something, but must have abandoned the thought and closed it again.

"What? What were you going to say?" Violet asked.

"Nothing, my love. Let's head back home now, shall we?" he grinned, pressing the button for the elevator.

The bell rang out, and the door slid open.

"Oh come onnn, you can't do that! Now I'm really curious! Tell me!"

"I promise, it is nothing of importance, right now.

* * *

It was after dinner, and Violet was laying on her stomach on the bed, a notebook and pen in front of her. One of the cats that now lived there, a gray and white one she called Stitch, was curled up next to her, purring his sleepy head off.

"How the hell does one plan a wedding?" Violet asked the furball, staring at the blank paper in front of her. "I know there's a lot to be planned, but I don't have a single thing written down… I don't even know where to start!"

"Why not start with the guest list?"

She jumped and looked behind her to see Sebastian standing in the doorway.

"Sebastian… I love you dearly… but _you are going to get hurt some day if you keep sneaking up on me like that!_ "

"I doubt you would do anything to your _loving husband_ ," he replied, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms with that damn smirk on his face.

"Not on purpose, but if you catch me at the wrong moment, I might mistake you for an intruder and try to destroy you!"

"I doubt it," he mused. "Weren't the servants going to help you plan this thing?"

"Yes, but they're working right now. And even then, by the time everything is done, I'm sure they'll just want to relax," Violet sighed.

"Hmm… I'll tell you what. I'll set aside a day or two this week so they can help you," Sebastian said, approaching the bed and rolling her onto her back.

"That would be great," she said, reaching up and pulling him down on top of her. "I don't understand any of this. I'm sure they must know a thing or two about weddings."

Sebastian started kissing her neck, then chuckled lightly.

"What?" Violet asked.

"Nothing, darling," he replied, still grinning.

"Ohhh… why do you keep doing that? You know it drives me crazy when you won't tell me what you're thinking," Violet said, pushing him off her and getting up. "I think I'm gonna call Carol. Maybe she can come over and help me at least get a solid foundation going here."

Sebastian stood up as well, and pulled her closer to him.

"Don't get too stressed out over it all. I'll help you in any way I can, too. I did get us into this, after all."

"Yes, you did. But I'm actually happy about it… it makes things seem more… real." Violet said.

Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the manor.

"What the hell was that?!" Violet exclaimed.

Sebastian went over to the windows, looked out, and sighed in exasperation. "Of course… why is it always when I have a full schedule?"


	19. A Problem

*** Sorry for the late update! I haven't been writing in a linear manner... I write out chapters as I get ideas, so I feel some of these "filler" chapters are a bit crappy and not my best work. Just know that they lead to something exciting though lol. Thanks for reading! :) ***

Sebastian and Violet went downstairs and noticed the front door was already open, and that Mey-Rin, Bard, Finny, and Tanaka were standing on the steps. They heard what sounded like a large crowd of people outside.

"Clear out of here, all of ya!" shouted Bard, some kind of gun perched on his shoulder.

"You heard him, go on!" Finny yelled, picking up one of the heavy planters from the side of the steps and raising it above his head.

Violet went out, Sebastian behind her, to see what was going on. There was, in fact, a crowd of people. Some held large signs up that had various things painted on it, like 'Pervert!' and 'Unclean', while others held up crosses and candles. There were even a couple news vans that were setting up cameras.

"What is this shit?!" Violet asked.

"I don't know, miss! They showed up about ten minutes ago! They keep saying Sebastian is a dirty old man and you need saving! HEY BACK OFF!" Finny said loudly over the crowd, pushing someone who had tried to come closer.

" _Old_?" Sebastian grumbled.

"Really? _That's_ the part that bothers you?!" Violet asked. "This is ridiculous! ALL OF YOU, GET LOST!"

"Oh, you poor girl! Come on, we'll take you somewhere safe and you can be cleansed of the filth you've endured!" came a woman's voice from near the front.

"Shut it, you! Who the hell do you think you are!" Violet growled.

There were now news cameras going, and reporters stood in front of them, talking.

"That pervert must have brainwashed you!" came another voice.

"You people are disgusting! That ' _pervert'_ happens to be my _husband_! I don't know where you got your information, but there's no one here that has been brainwashed, or that needs saving!"

"Yeh!" Mey-Rin agreed, shooting a few rounds into the air from a shotgun she held. Some people screamed and ducked.

"Excuse me, Miss Phantomhive, is it true that you're underage?"

"Is it true that your butler forced you into marriage?"

"You actually married your _butler_?"

Violet started feeling her anger reach its boiling point when they heard tires screeching and an engine roaring closer. People scattered as a car skidded to a halt in front of the stairs. Charles got out, followed by Carol and Leon. They all looked angry.

"Come on, Violet, Sebastian. Let's go inside," Carol said, pulling Violet into the house.

"I have back-up on the way," Charles said to Bard before following the others into the house.

"What the hell is going on?" Violet asked as they all settled in the study. Sebastian brought the tea cart in and began preparing tea.

"Word got out among the St. Francis church that you and Sebastian registered with the underworld this afternoon. Somehow, they got a hold of a copy of the documents and saw that you're underage," Charles explained, looking out the window before closing the curtains. "The backup I called for is here. Good."

Sebastian let out a low growl, but didn't say anything, as he continued with the tea.

The four servants who had been outside entered the room, looking flustered.

"' _Word got out'_? What _word_? Who would even _care_? It's not like we're famous or anything!" Violet spat, feeling her face growing hot.

"I take it Sebastian never told you about…?" Charles trailed off, looking to Sebastian questioningly.

Violet looked between the two of them. "About…? What, more secrets? Come _on_ , I thought we got it all out in the open! What _now_?!"

Suddenly, a brick with a note tied to it crashed through one of the windows. Violet picked it up and untied the note and read it. Big red letters formed a single word: _Pedophile!_ She stormed over to the window and leaned out through the broken glass. A guy was standing below, pointing and shouting.

"Yeh, right back at ya, buddy! Why don't you come up here so I can shove this brick up your-"

"Violet, get in here!" Carol exclaimed, pulling her back in.

Someone outside shouted again, then the sound of several people running. Charles peeked out the curtain again.

"I think I need to call for more backup. It seems that more people have arrived since we got here." He turned back to Sebastian. "You need to tell her _everything_ if we are to set the plan in motion. But right now, I think we need to go stay somewhere more secure until things die down. Violet, you all go pack your bags. Bring enough for a week."

Even though she was feeling outraged by everyone's assumptions, and annoyed by the fact that there were still more secrets being kept, Violet nodded and left the room with the other servants, Sebastian behind her. Finny, Mey-Rin, Baldroy and Tanaka headed downstairs to their rooms, talking excitedly.

"So… why exactly have you kept more from me?" Violet asked as they stopped outside the door to their room.

"It wasn't intentional, my love… I just didn't think it was necessary. There is a part of me that is still obeying the wishes of your parents for you to have as normal of a life as possible," he replied, brushing a bit of hair away from her eyes. "I never thought anything like this would happen."

Violet felt her agitation melt away as she looked up into Sebastian's eyes. _Ugh… I can't even be mad… he clearly didn't do this just to piss me off._

"Well… I expect you to tell me everything later, as Charles said. And from now on, no more secrets, no matter what. Promise me that," she said, taking his hand and brushing her lips across his knuckles.

"I promise," he said, looking sincere.

 _Oh my god, I love this man so much,_ Violet thought, studying his face. _How am I so lucky?_

* * *

"This will have to do for now," Leon said, looking around.

 _'_ _This will have to do?' It's a goddamn castle, what part of it doesn't meet your standards?_ Violet thought as she looked around in awe. They had finally arrived to the hideaway in the mountains, a manor that had been in the family for ages. _It_ looks _like no one has_ been _here in ages… there's dust and cobwebs everywhere. Perhaps that's what he's referring to…_

"Not to worry, my staff and I will have this place in perfect order by dinner time," Sebastian stated, taking Violet's bag from her and heading up the stairs. "Miss Violet, please follow me. I will see to it that you get settled before I get started on the chores."

As Violet followed, Charles called after them.

"Sebastian," he said. They simply exchanged quick nods before carrying on up the stairs.

The room he led her to was similar in style to the guest rooms at the manor, though the décor seemed rather outdated.

"I think this place needs an interior designer," she remarked, looking around.

Sebastian chuckled, then gestured towards the bed. "My lady, please sit. I must explain something to you."

"Oh, right. Yes, _please_ explain to me why we are in this situation, and why so many people seem to know us." She flopped down on the bed and let herself fall back, causing a cloud of dust to poof up around her, which sent her into a coughing fit.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked, looking concerned.

"Yeh- ***cough*** I'm fine. I didn't exactly think that through. ***cough*** Go ahead and talk," she gasped, waving a hand dismissively.

Sebastian handed her a glass of water. "Alright. Well, as you already know, I am a high ranking demon among the others. And the Phantomhive name is also held in high regard, both in the underworld and in the mortal world. Word about both our names has been circulating for a long time. In fact, after you were born, there was a major underworld celebration in honor of 'the marked one'…" he paused, looking at her expectantly.

" _Me?!_ But _why?_ I don't really follow…"

"I am the heir to the throne of the underworld. One of the conditions I had to fulfill in order to take over was to have a wife. When you turn 18, we will finally take our places as the rulers."

 _"_ _WHAT?!"_ she exclaimed, causing her to go into another coughing fit. _He certainly didn't waste any time getting right to the point._

"Are you upset, darling?"

"No…! I may just be a damn idiot, but I still don't understand! What does this have to do with what's going on now, and WHY have you never told me I would be RULING HELL alongside you?!"

"The St. Francis church group has been an enemy of the underworld since the beginning of time. They've made several attempts to wipe out our existence, even managed to send undercover spies to relay information. That is how word got out about our visit. They believe if they can destroy the heir to the throne, that hell will cease to exist," Sebastian paused, chuckling. "Stupid fools, they don't realize what a mistake that would be."

"So they're trying to kill you!?" Violet cried, feeling panic rising inside her.

"Something like that. I commend their method of bringing the attention of the public to the situation first, they would look like heroes to the mortals, if I was found murdered. No one would suspect it was them. But, they don't realize that if they destroy me, essentially, the gates of hell will open, and they will be destroyed themselves." He scoffed in amusement.

"So what do we do to stop them?" Violet asked, an odd mixture of both anger and fear bubbling in her chest.

Sebastian sighed. "I could easily take them all out right now, but since it has gained the attention of the public, it would be too suspicious. The plan that has been made is really the only option. We will need to relocate to the underworld until your 18th birthday. Only after we take our places on the throne will I be able to destroy St. Francis once and for all."

"They aren't raising a big fit about this down there, as well?" she asked, thinking back to what Mr. Stilles had said. ' _Even if it is only a year short of legal, many may scoff about it, rather publicly. A demon of your ranks should be careful.'_

"No. Stilles is a rat, he's one of St. Francis' informants. He doesn't think I'm aware of it, but I've known for a long time. His remarks were merely meant to deter me from coming back, should an issue arise like this one. He's the one that leaked the information. I'll deal with him when the time is right."

"Well, I guess if that's what we gotta do, then that's what we gotta do. When will we relocate?"

"We'll stay here for the week, as planned. Charles has already given word to Master Ciel that we will arrive this weekend," Sebastian replied promptly.

Violet thought for a moment. "Hmm… this may be another stupid question, but… what about the servants? Will they come with us?" She felt sad at the thought of leaving them behind, even if it was only for a while.

"Of course," Sebastian said. Then he smirked. "I daresay, Master Ciel will be excited to have them around again."

"We're gonna be staying at his house?"

"Not exactly. We'll be staying at _our_ house… I've held on to my old place all these years for a reason. It probably could use some updating, though. I figured that's something you would enjoy doing."

Violet's eyes lit up as she nodded excitedly.

"Then it's settled. Now, let's get _you_ settled in here, before I get started on making this place more inhabitable."

* * *

The next several days went by without incident. Violet liked peace and quiet, but things around the shabby manor had been downright boring. The servants hadn't even made any mistakes, which she suspected had something to do with Carol's close watch. Either that, or Sebastian had been discreetly correcting them.

She decided to take advantage of the downtime to plan the wedding some more. Mey-Rin sat with her at the dining room table, and they were flipping through some fabric samples for the accent decorations.

"I don't know… these are all too frilly," Violet sighed, dropping another pile onto the table. "They're the right color, but who knew there were so many styles of black."

Mey-Rin held up a fabric sample excitedly, but quickly cringed and set it back down. "I think that's all of them, then," she said sadly.

"Well, thanks for helping me go through them. Maybe we'll just skip the accent décor." Violet sighed again and picked up the stack of blank invitations and a pen. Then something occurred to her, which made her frown.

"What is it, miss?" Mey-Rin asked.

"I dunno… I just realized something. We're under such public scrutiny right now, what's the point in even having a wedding? People would probably just show up to protest. It would be a total disaster, I'm sure of it."

Mey-Rin frowned as well and took the invitations. "Well… maybe you don't have to invite a bunch of people. Maybe you could just have a small ceremony with your closest family and friends? After all, it would certainly mean a lot to us to attend such an event."

Violet thought for a minute, then nodded. "You're right. I don't even care what people think, in the first place. I just wanted to do this for all of you."

A big smile crossed Mey-Rin's face as she picked up a pile of fabric samples and tossed them into the air with a laugh. "Then forget about all the details, it doesn't need to be extravagant and fancy! We'll just be happy that we get to see our beloved mistress become Mrs. Michaelis!"

At that moment, Sebastian had been passing by. He paused with wide eyes, observing fabric scraps raining down all over the room. Then his expression became neutral again, and he spoke.

"Mey-Rin… you know you are going to clean every one of those up, right?"

Mey-Rin's face went red as she scrambled to start picking them up. "Yessir!" she stammered.

After Sebastian disappeared again, she and Violet broke out in a fit of giggles as Violet got up and helped gather pieces of fabric.


	20. Intruder

*** This one is slightly shorter, but it was the only spot that made sense to end the chapter before the next part starts. Also wanted to thank everyone for their feedback, as well as the new follows/favorites :) ***

 *** On another note, I am thinking there will be between 40 and 50 chapters of this story before it ends. So, we're halfway there, it seems! ***

It was finally the day that Sebastian, Violet, Finny, Mey-Rin, Tanaka, and Baldroy were relocating to the underworld. Violet was feeling a bit nervous, but the servants seemed excited.

"Have you guys been there before?" Violet asked Finny.

"We got to go there after Master Ciel was changed into a demon!" he replied, his eyes sparkling. "But… haven't you been there before? I thought you went a couple times."

"Yeh, but that was just to handle business. I've never been outside of the headquarters building, so I'm a little nervous."

"Ohhh it's marvelous!" cried Mey-Rin. "The shops, the parks, the cafes! There's _so_ much to do, and everyone is real cool, yes they are!"

 _Wow… and people are made to believe hell is such a terrible place._

As though reading her mind, Sebastian smirked. "Another made up tale by St. Francis. They created religion to keep people living in fear and under their control. If it got out that hell was just another paradise, what would they compare heaven to? No one would care about 'sinning' or praying, or giving monetary offerings. Their organization would crumble."

"Huh. Makes sense, I guess," Violet mumbled. She made to pick up her bag, but found that it was no longer next to her.

"I've got it, darling," Sebastian said, already heading out the door.

"You make sure you keep in touch," Carol said, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Why are you about to cry? I'll only be gone for a while. Plus, it's not like you can't come visit," Violet stated.

"Oh, you know I can't help it. I worry about you no matter where you are or who you are with. Old habits die hard," she replied, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "Just call us once in a while, will you?"

"Yes, I will," Violet sighed, giving Carol a hug. "I know it doesn't do much, but I'm still going to tell you not to worry."

After saying goodbye to Leon, she and the servants filed out of the manor to the waiting SUV. Sebastian helped her in, then let the others get in before he followed and closed the door.

"Ooo, this is so exciting!" Mey-Rin cried as the SUV started down the mountain road.

"Can't wait to visit those shooting ranges again!" Bard said as he lit a cigarette.

"I want to learn more about all the different plants and animals that live there!" Finny mused.

"Hoh hoh hoh," Tanaka added.

 _I can't wait for this shit show with St. Francis to be over so life can go back to normal_ , Violet thought, staring out the window and finding herself missing the (mostly) uneventful life at the Phantomhive manor. _But I wonder if that's even possible, considering Sebastian is the heir to the throne… maybe we'll have to stay in the underworld._

Not wanting to think about anything anymore, she rested her head on Sebastian's shoulder and dozed off.

* * *

 _"Sebastian, wait! Please don't leave me!" Violet cried, as tears streamed down her face._

 _Sebastian was walking away from her, towards a tower of flames. She reached out and grabbed his hand, but he pulled away and kept walking._

 _"Why are you leaving me?!"_

 _Sebastian finally turned to her, a look of pure disgust and amusement on his face._

 _"Stupid human. I don't love you."_

 _"But I'm not-"_

 _Suddenly, his hands were around her neck, squeezing. He started shifting into his true form, his laughter filling her ears as she struggled to breathe._

 _"The only way you're any good to me is_ dead _!" he growled._

 _She started losing consciousness…_

 _"Miss Violet," he said, shaking her now limp body slightly._ What the hell is he doing? _"Miss Violet…"_

* * *

Violet awoke with a start, gasping for air. Everyone in the SUV was looking at her with worried expressions.

"Miss Violet, were you having a nightmare?" Sebastian asked from next to her, looking especially concerned.

"Uh… no, no… I just…" she stammered. She didn't want everyone worrying about her.

"Your face is really flushed," Sebastian frowned. He placed a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up, too."

The SUV pulled into the familiar alley, and the driver got out and opened their doors. Sebastian hopped out and took Violet into his arms.

"I'm fine, really, I can walk. I just-"

"Just relax. We'll be at the house soon."

Seeing no point in trying to argue, Violet allowed Sebastian to carry her into the building, followed by the servants and Charles. They got into one of the center elevators this time, plummeting to a large foyer that had doors on the other end, which presumably led out into the underworld city.

"Please call me after you've settled in," Charles said, staying in the elevator. "Violet, go get some rest. We'll meet up after you're feeling better."

Sebastian nodded as the remainder of the group headed towards the doors. Outside, another SUV waited for them. Violet drifted in and out of an uneasy sleep as they were taken to their destination.

 _Why did I have that nightmare?_ she thought feverishly, cuddling closer to Sebastian's chest. _I don't want to start having those again…_

The next time she woke up, she was being carried up the steps to a large, stone, castle-like house.

"Are you able to stand on your own for a moment?" Sebastian asked her.

"Yeh, I think so," she said.

He set her on her feet, and after she steadied herself, removed his left glove and held the back of his hand to a stone pad on the door. It briefly glowed before the sound of locks tumbling could be heard, and the gigantic doors slowly creaked open. He and Violet walked in, the others close behind.

"I need to get Miss Violet upstairs. I trust you all remember where your rooms are?" Sebastian asked them.

"Yes, we can manage!" Mey-Rin said cheerfully.

"Very good." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small, jingly bag, then tossed it to Baldroy before picking Violet up again. "Here. There's no food in the house, and we won't get around to errands until morning. You guys can order take-out or something for tonight and get settled in. I expect you to return to your regular duties tomorrow."

"Yessir! Thank you, Mister Sebastian!" they cried in unison, heading down a hallway.

"That was nice of you," Violet said quietly against Sebastian's chest as he carried her up the stone steps to the second floor. He laughed quietly.

"Nice has nothing to do with it. I am more concerned about your condition and needn't be bothered with them, right now."

"I'm probably just exhausted and stressed out. I'm sure I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

They entered a large room that contained nothing but a large, fluffy bed, a couple stone tables on either side of it, and an armoire against one wall. Sebastian turned the light on dim and carefully set Violet down on the bed.

"Wow… you must be a minimalist. You never have anything in your rooms," Violet said, looking around.

"I didn't see a point in having too much, since I've rarely stayed here," he replied, opening one of the bags he had been carrying, in addition to her, and pulling out her night clothes. "But, once you're feeling better, you can decorate the house however you want."

Violet started working on taking her boots off, but Sebastian took over.

"You know, I'm not dying, I can manage to change, darling," Violet smirked.

"When did you start having nightmares again?" Sebastian asked, ignoring what she'd said.

"I… I haven't had any for a couple years, until tonight," she said. "But like I said, I'm sure it's just stress."

Sebastian growled as he helped her stand to change into her night clothes.

"Why are you angry?" she asked, shrinking back a little.

"I'm not angry… not at you, anyway. I'm worried. I don't like it when I can't protect you in every way possible."

"Sebastian… I don't think anyone can keep nightmares away. It's just a part of life. You don't have to feel that way," Violet said quietly, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I know…" he sighed, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it. "One thing I _can_ do is promise you that your nightmares will never come true. Do you trust me on that?"

 _'Stupid human. I don't love you.'_ Her nightmare flashed through her mind.

 _But I'm not human anymore… I'm a product of his very own. My mind is just really fucked up right now because of everything going on._ Violet shook her head in an attempt to lose the thoughts. _Get a grip. I can't let the stress affect our relationship._

"Yes, I trust you," she finally replied.

Sebastian pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Good. Now, let's get you changed and rested up. We have a lot to do tomorrow, and if you aren't feeling better by then, I will not let you leave this bed."

Violet nodded and allowed him to change her into her night clothes and tuck her in.

"I need to take care of a couple things, I'll be in in a little while." With that, he clicked the light off and left the room, closing the door behind him.

 _I worry for nothing. He clearly does love me._

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

I left Violet to rest and wandered about the castle, taking note of what needed to be stocked. I knew I wouldn't need anything, but I also knew Violet still liked human food, plus the servants would need to eat as well.

After about an hour, I had a lengthy grocery list made, and was about to move on to non-food items, when I got the feeling something wasn't right. In the matter of seconds, I'd sensed a brief, unwelcome presence, then it disappeared… but something still seemed off… _Violet?!_

I abandoned my list and ran up the stone steps and down the corridor to our bedroom. I paused outside the door, my hand on the doorknob. _Surely no one could have broken in? I've got this place secured down to the last crack in the wall. No one would be able to get past…_

After another moment of hesitation, I opened the door. As soon as I stepped inside, a mixture of a gasp and a growl escaped me as I rushed over to the bedside and sat next to Violet. She was still asleep, but something was different. Someone… no, some _thing_ had been here, and…

I pulled the blanket off her left shoulder, where her mark was placed. I felt myself shifting in rage at the sight of an intricate cross design carved over it, blood dripping from her skin.

 _What is this? Those bastards… how did they even get in?!_

I let out another growl and took Violet into my arms, deciding to call it quits on whatever chores I had left for the night and stay in the room.

 _If anyone comes back, I'll destroy them… I don't care about waiting anymore. They've stepped over the line._

* * *

"WHAT the HELL!?"

Sebastian stood behind Violet as she was inspecting her shoulder in the mirror. Though he hadn't wanted to tell her about what happened, he also knew he couldn't hide it from her. After all, it was there, plain as day, on her skin.

"Who the fuck do those assholes think they are?" Violet spat, running her fingers over the dried blood.

"I'm surprised you didn't wake up," Sebastian said, getting a cloth and some antiseptic.

"Me too… I don't even feel it, though. Maybe my pain threshold has increased- YOUCH!" Violet jumped as Sebastian dabbed at the cuts with the antiseptic. "Is that even necessary? Demons don't get infections like humans do…"

"I'm not taking any chances," he replied, pressing the cloth to her shoulder.

Violet looked up into his eyes and noticed the worry in them, which made her feel horrible. All he seemed to do was worry about her.

 _I don't want this to be his life… he seemed so much more relaxed before he and I got together… is this all I'm good at, making him miserable?_

"My love?"

She shook her thoughts away and realized Sebastian had been talking to her.

"I'm sorry… I was trying to remember something. What did you say?" she said, frowning apologetically, and also at the fact that she lied.

"I was wondering if you are feeling up to running errands today? If not, it's fine, I'll just send the others out," he asked, putting a hand on her forehead. "You don't seem to be burning up anymore, but it all depends how you feel."

"Yeh, I'm fine. I wouldn't mind getting some fresh air, or…" she trailed off, looking out the window at the hazy, orange-red sky outside. "… air, in general."

Sebastian chuckled. "The air is a lot fresher than it looks, trust me." Then he placed his hands on her cheeks and pulled her face closer to his. "I love you, Violet."

Violet's stomach flip-flopped when he spoke her name. The way he'd said it made her knees weak.

"I love you too, Sebastian," she replied, feeling her face grow red as his lips crashed down on hers.


	21. Gone

Sebastian was right. In spite of the fact that the air outside looked like it would be polluted and suffocating, it was crisp and clean, even at high noon. Probably even more so than any air Violet had breathed in on the surface world.

 _I wonder how they pull that one off,_ she thought, studying the flaming, smoky sky as they made their way down a winding road of other large castle-like homes. _Maybe Hell has a really good filtration system._

Violet and Sebastian, along with Mey-Rin, Finny, Tanaka, and Baldroy, had decided to walk into town, rather than drive. That way, Violet could get more familiar with the area. She was surprised to see how normal the neighborhood looked - there were children playing in their yards, older folks sitting on their porches or tending to their gardens, and people walking their pets, though the kinds of pets were some she had never seen before. They reminded her of Pokemon.

"I never expected everything to look so normal," Violet said to Sebastian, as Finny stopped to pet a three-headed dog that someone was walking.

"Most neighborhoods here are similar to the ones you're used to seeing. There are, however, certain ones that more closely resemble the ones you'd expect to see in hell," he explained. "But we will not visit those areas… not anytime soon, anyway."

Violet nodded as they continued on down the street, not bothering to ask why. A smaller area of town came into view when they rounded the corner, and Mey-Rin shrieked with excitement.

"There it is! Can we go to the consignment shop, Mister Sebastian?" she asked, jumping up and down.

"The shooting range is just over that hill! We got time to stop there, Mister Sebastian?" Bard asked.

"Look at that garden in the park! There's so many birds, too! Can we go there?" Finny asked.

Tanaka was suddenly in his full human form, polishing his glasses as he spoke. "Calm down, you three. We have obligations we must fulfill, as servants of the Phantomhive manor, regardless of our location." He paused for a moment to put his glasses back on. "Though… I would not mind visiting the history library, at some point."

Sebastian sighed. "I suppose you lot can go off on your own, while Miss Violet and I handle the errands. I daresay, it would be better not to have you underfoot all day. Please be back at the castle by 5pm."

The four of them bowed in response as they agreed, then scattered off in various directions. Sebastian looked over to Violet and held his arm out to her.

"Looks like it's just you and me, today," he said with a smirk.

"I don't have any complaints about that," Violet replied, taking his arm.

They started down the road that led to the stretch of shops and businesses. Their first stop was a department-type store, where Sebastian instructed her to help choose various household items. They got cookware and dinnerware, a tea service set, and some cleaning supplies. Violet thought about picking up some décor items as well, but decided to order online instead. With that idea, she stopped in her tracks.

"Sebastian… is it possible to shop online down here?"

"Of course. We have our own network of retailers, though. Obviously, any mortal would be baffled if a delivery address was located in Hell."

"Hmm… I suppose I could always have stuff shipped to the manor, and have Charles or Leon and Carol bring it down, if I have to."

Sebastian nodded and turned back towards a shelf full of silver flatware. Violet wandered around the corner, noticing a display of black stones, sparkling with various colors, and of various sizes.

 _These are like the ones Sebastian used to give me,_ she thought with a smile, remembering how exciting it was to place the newest ones with her collection. _Those days were much simpler…_

"Hey Sebastian, is this where you got those stones you would bring me-" she fell quiet as she turned the corner and realized he wasn't there.

Suddenly, there was some kind of energy drifting by that she had an overwhelming urge to follow. Forgetting her search for Sebastian, Violet allowed the mystery energy to lead her through the aisles and out the door.

* * *

"I looked everywhere! I couldn't find her… I didn't even sense her!" Sebastian growled.

"Maybe something horrible has happened!" cried Finny, his eyes sparkling with tears.

"No… she would have used her ring to summon me, if she was in trouble," Sebastian said, trying to convince himself, as well as the others, that she was not in danger. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but his voice was still filled with worry.

It was now close to 9 at night. He had been out looking for Violet for several hours before returning home, hoping she would be there, but only found the servants pacing around.

"We need to alert Master Ciel and organize a search party. Leon and Carol should be notified as well," Baldroy spoke up, noticing the state Sebastian was in. "Sebastian, you and I should go to headquarters. Mey-Rin, Finny, stay here in case she comes back."

Baldroy opened the door and they hurried down the steps. Before they got to the end of the walkway, though, Sebastian gasped.

"Violet!"

Baldroy followed his gaze, and saw Violet down the road, walking towards them. He ran back into the house to tell the others, while Sebastian took off to meet her.

"Where in the world have you been? I've been worried!" he asked, pulling her against him, an unfamiliar burning sensation in his eyes. He also noticed she felt like she was burning up again.

"I… I don't know," she stammered, before bursting into tears.

"My love? Have you been hurt? What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" she cried again, clinging to him.

Taken aback by this reaction, he picked her up and carried her into the house.

* * *

After Violet had calmed down, Sebastian brought the tea cart into their bedroom and began preparing some for her. He helped her sit up against the pillows he'd placed behind her, then carefully handed her the tea cup.

"So you don't know where you were?" Sebastian asked, sitting next to her.

"No… the last thing I remember is looking at this display of black stones, and I went to ask you something about them, but you weren't there. Then when I came to again, I was standing at the top of this hill in the middle of the country, and there was a massive church off in the distance, surrounded by small houses. I don't recall even going back up to the surface world…" she explained, sipping the tea.

"I _was_ there, darling. You were walking towards me and asking something, then you stopped, turned around, and walked off. I thought you were just going to look at more stuff."

Violet sighed. "I don't know what happened. It's scary to think I blacked out and wandered to some place that I don't even know."

"I wonder… why didn't you use your ring to summon me when you realized where you were?"

"I… I'm not sure. Normally, I would do that, but… it never even crossed my mind… I'm… I'm sorry I worried you again…" Violet said, bursting into tears again.

Sebastian took the tea cup from her and set it on the cart, then pulled her into his arms.

"Please don't cry anymore. I know you didn't do it on purpose. I'm just so relieved that you're okay," he said softly, pulling her chin up so she was eye level. "I don't know what I'd ever do if-"

That's when he noticed it. Her usual purple eyes had hints of silver fading out from the pupils. He was quiet for a few minutes, as though he was thinking. His outer expression briefly seemed concerned, but inside, his rage was in full fire-mode.

"Sebastian? What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."

Just then someone knocked at the door.

"Young Master Ciel is here, yes! Shall I send him up?" came Mey-Rin's voice from the other side of the door.

"Yes, send him in," Sebastian replied.

"Ciel is here? Does he know about what happened?" Violet asked, feeling a bit of a panic rising up inside her.

"I suppose it must have got out to him, in some way or another," Sebastian said, getting up and opening the bedroom door. "I spoke to him this morning about what happened last night. He just wants to take a look at your shoulder."

 _Oh right, the shoulder thing. I actually forgot about that,_ she thought, pulling the neckline of her shirt down and looking at the cross that had been carved there. The scabs had healed, but there were still fairly noticeable white lines in their place.

Violet looked up as Ciel entered the room. Sebastian gestured to Violet, as she sat up and moved to the edge of the bed.

"So, you said this happened last night?" Ciel asked, leaning in to get a closer look at design on her skin.

"Yes. I'm still quite baffled at how anyone managed to get in," Sebastian said with a frown.

"Did you happen to see what time it was? Maybe the security cameras picked something up," Ciel said, tracing a finger over the white lines.

"No… and I've already checked, there's nothing."

"Hmm…"

After a few more moments, Ciel stood straight again and gave a nod to Violet.

"I'd like for you both to come down to headquarters tomorrow. There are a few things that need to be discussed," he said, making his way out of the room. "Sebastian, walk me to the door."

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

"You're absolutely sure this has something to do with St. Francis?" I asked, as I escorted my young master to the door. I knew it did, I just needed to verify my suspicion.

"There's no doubt. I've been getting flooded with threatening calls, letters, and emails. They all say the same thing. They promise they will take Violet from you."

I couldn't stop a growl from escaping me as we headed down the stairs.

"I assume Violet is aware of the connection between the cross on her shoulder and the mission of St. Francis?" Ciel asked.

"Well…"

"Your tendency to withhold information is rather troublesome. You know doing so will do nothing but diminish the trust Violet has in you."

"I'm not _withholding_ anything from her. She has been under a lot of stress lately, I figured if I can handle this myself, then there's no need to add more worry to her mind-"

Ciel scoffed. "Still can't let go of your pride. I think you're just scared of looking like a failure because there's a chance that you _can't_ handle this on your own-"

I slammed Ciel into the wall and pinned him there.

"Who are _you_ to question my capabilities? Have you forgotten how many times I've had to save your ass, even when I _should_ have just let you get what you had coming to you?" I growled.

"Have _you_ forgotten that you had no choice? It's a part of the contract! Stop acting like a saint, you only did it because you're _hungry_ and don't want to lose your _meal_!" he growled back, slamming me back onto the floor.

"I could have let you die that night! I could have eaten your soul and let her cut your records!" I snarled. "But it's not a part of my _aesthetic_!"

I kicked him in the stomach, sending him across the room into the wall again.

"Why are you fighting!? Stop it!"

I looked up to see Violet at the top of the stairs, looking extremely upset and unwell. I stood and rushed up to her.

"I apologize that you saw any of that," Ciel spoke up before I could say anything. "We were just having a heated disagreement. But I think we've settled it."

He got up and brushed brick dust from his shoulders, then located his top hat and cane before opening the front door.

"Sebastian, I'll be free around noon tomorrow. You two can stop by then."

"Of course. We will see you tomorrow then, _master,_ " I replied with a smirk as he disappeared behind the closing door.

"Wh-what was all that about?" Violet asked shakily.

"Don't worry about it, my love. Let's get you back to bed, you seem to be rather unwell, still," I said, picking her up and heading down the hall back to our room.


	22. A Plan Is Devised

*** Please don't hate me for what I've done in this chapter. Considering the current events of the manga, and the fact that we don't know how things will turn out, I wrote a bit of a backstory into this. I figured there had to be some kind of explanation of the "accident" that led to Ciel becoming a demon. ***

At exactly noon the next day, Violet and Sebastian were sitting in Ciel's study at headquarters, waiting for him to return from a meeting. Tanaka had accompanied them to serve as the butler.

"I wonder what Ciel wants to talk about…" Violet thought aloud.

"I believe it has something to do with St. Francis," Sebastian answered. He still had his doubts about making her aware of what was going on. He didn't want her to have something else to worry about, in addition to everything else.

"Hmm…"

Moments later, Ciel entered the study. Tanaka took that cue to begin preparing tea on a nearby cart.

"Good, you're already here. I hope you haven't been waiting too long," he said, sitting in a chair across from them. He glanced at Violet. "Has Sebastian told you anything since last night?"

"I have not," Sebastian said, before Violet could speak. "I figured there was no point, if we were going to discuss it today."

Ciel mumbled something inaudible, then sighed.

"Fine. Violet, from what I've been told about recent events, we believe the cross on your shoulder is linked to St. Francis."

"Uhm… okay?" Violet said slowly, not sure what else to say.

"I've been receiving a lot of threats from them that their mission is to take you away from Sebastian."

Violet felt her heart drop. _Of course they would try to do that…_

"Well… what does this mark have anything to do with it? What was their whole purpose for doing it?" she asked, absentmindedly running her hand over her shoulder. Tanaka served tea to the three of them, then stood off to the side.

"Based on recent events, I'd say it's not just a mark. It seems to have some kind of power to it. I think it even had something to do with your wandering off the other day. You said you ended up on a hill overlooking a small village with a large church in the center?" Ciel asked.

"Yeh…" Violet answered, realizing that made sense.

"Does this look familiar?" Ciel asked, sliding a printed photo across the coffee table to her.

Violet picked it up and studied it. She felt chills run through her when she realized the photo was taken from the very same hill she had been standing on.

"Y-yeh, this is where I was…"

"We think they're using that mark to keep tabs on you and lure you closer to their village. They placed it over Sebastian's seal in hopes that it will overpower the claim he has on you."

Violet went from feeling freaked out to being angry. "W-… h-… those sons of bitches!"

Sebastian snickered next to her as Ciel rolled his eyes.

"What do we do about this?" Violet said after a moment.

"The only thing we can do right now is keep a close watch on you. Sebastian and I discussed it. If you wander off again, he'll follow you to see what happens. We need to figure out who put that mark on you, and who the ringleader of this whole situation is."

Violet sighed heavily. _That's all we can do right now?_

"I know you want to take them down, but we have to be strategic about this. One wrong move could have serious consequences. You'll have to wait until you take the throne to make the first move, as we've talked about." Ciel said.

Violet looked over at Sebastian, who looked surprisingly calm.

"Well, at least one of us is handling this well," she remarked.

"Believe me, my love. I am angrier than you can imagine. If I allow it to take over me, though, I'll be useless in my watch over you," he replied, taking her hand.

 _He's trying so hard to keep it together… and all I do is make things worse for him..._ she thought, feeling that sadness and guilt well up in her chest again.

 ** _Stop thinking that way,_** came a stern voice in her head, causing her to jump. Her eyes fell on Sebastian, who gave her a knowing frown.

"… it's all we can do, for now."

Violet realized she hadn't been listening, as Ciel's voice faded in again. She just nodded, pretending to have heard him.

"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" he asked, steepling his fingers in front of him.

Suddenly, she recalled something she had wanted to know, but never got around to asking.

"Actually, yes… what happened? The accident that caused Sebastian to change you?" Violet asked.

Ciel raised his eyebrows, then cleared his throat.

"It was a reaper. We crossed paths, she recognized me and was overcome by grief, so she decided to try to end me 'for my own good'," he replied. "She got me with her death scythe. Sebastian moved in quickly as my cinematic records spilled out, captured my soul in the bottle, and sunk his fangs into my neck in the matter of a split second."

"It never would have worked, under normal circumstances, but that particular reaper was trying to kill someone who was not on the 'To Die' list. Neither I, nor master Ciel had that knowledge, though." Sebastian added. "I merely acted accordingly to save the meal I desperately crave."

"I would have died eventually, had he not done so."

"Technically, you cheated death then…" Violet tried to reason.

"In a way. Only if someone is not on the 'To Die' list would that method work. If I had been on that list, it would have failed. Not many people know that."

"But if he captured your soul, how did a second sacrifice become necessary?"

"If you look closely at the details, I was supposed to die at the hand of Sebastian once his end of the contract was fulfilled. He still gets to consume my soul. However, I no longer have it within me, yet I am still alive. That throws off the balance of the contract. Technically, I am dead… but my soul still exists. See what I mean?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"Yeh, I see. So this reaper… where did she recognize you from?" Violet asked.

Ciel was quiet for a few moments, looking as though he'd just remembered a painful memory.

"Never mind, you don't have to-" Violet said quickly, noticing his expression.

"No, it's fine. I might as well get it out now." He glanced at Sebastian, who just nodded. "She… she used to be my… _Ciel's_ fiancée. Elizabeth Midford. We grew up together, and they were set to marry when old enough. However, when I was 17… she accidentally found out who I was… and wasn't, for that matter."

Violet sat there, looking wide-eyed, between Ciel and Sebastian, confused at his use of his own name in third-person.

"I am not the real Ciel Phantomhive," he said, dissolving that confusion. "Ciel was my twin brother."

Violet gasped and glanced at Sebastian. "Were you aware of this?"

"Of course," he said. "Due to events in the past, this information did come up, at one point."

"What happened to him, then?"

"He was murdered by an organization as a sacrifice to summon one of the most powerful demons of the underworld. I saw the whole thing from the cage we were kept in."

Violet raised an eyebrow and glanced at Sebastian. "One of the most powerful demons of the underworld, eh? Would that demon happen to be in our presence right now?"

"Yes. That is how I wound up making the contract with Sebastian. Somehow, he determined that I was the one who summoned him. I don't know how. After they plunged the knife into my brother's chest, something in my mind snapped. I cursed, I denied the existence of god. I was officially broken. Even though I hadn't tried to summon him, I accepted the offer to make a contract in order to get revenge on the people responsible for what my brother and I went through, and those that killed my parents."

Violet nodded, remaining silent as he continued.

"I took my brother's place as the new earl. I did it because I wanted to make him proud. I did it because I felt that if I was the one who came back, everyone would be disappointed. I was always the shy one, the quiet one, the sick one. No one would ever think I could manage the workload of an earl. So I took on the identity of Ciel. I managed to fool everyone except Tanaka. He knew all along." He glanced over at Tanaka, who stood nearby in his full human form.

"So Lizzy found out you aren't Ciel… at the same time she found out about your contract?"

"Yes. The fact that I formed a pact with a demon didn't sit well with her. In fact, it threw her into hysterics. She started to think that I killed Ciel so I could summon a demon myself, so she saw me as the evil twin. She thought I was jealous of my brother. After about a month, she became very mentally unstable. Before her parents could get her any kind of help… she…" Ciel paused, a faraway look in his eyes. "She ended her own life."

Violet gasped and felt her eyes well up. Before she could say anything comforting, he continued.

"Naturally, those who end their own lives become Shinigami. I just didn't know I'd cross paths with her again… or that she'd try to kill me. I didn't know she'd still be mentally unstable in her afterlife." Ciel paused and took a sip of his tea. "She attacked me with her death scythe, both with intentions to avenge Ciel, and to 'release me from my burden'."

"So Sebastian changed you to save your life…"

"No. He changed me to save his meal that he has worked for, for so long. He doesn't give a damn about my _life_ ," Ciel said, shooting a look at Sebastian.

"That's not true, I'm certain he _does_ care about you," Violet tried to convince him. "He's remained loyal to you all these years-"

"Because he _has_ to. That's one clause in the contract. Violet, I know it's difficult for you to understand, because you are his mate. His feelings for you are genuine. But demons don't care about others. They'll use you and trick you into giving them what they want, then they will kill you and eat your soul. They take great pleasure in the suffering and misfortune of others. I had my own doubts at first, but now that I am one myself, I can confirm the truth of it." Ciel replied. "You yourself should even know that, to some extent."

"Well, I suppose I do a little bit…" she said, remembering the joy she felt when she'd been about to kill the drunk man on the first night of their investigation, the man she'd sort of seduced at the inn, and when she'd killed her ex and two people she thought were her friends.

"The one thing I respect demons for is the fact that they don't hide their real intentions. They merely take advantage of the weak mind of the human and exploit it to their own benefit. Humans, on the other hand, sugar coat their intentions. Such cowardice." Ciel snorted into his tea cup. "I'm rather thankful that I'm not human anymore."

Just then, Charles entered the room.

"Pardon the interruption, but if you're going to see them back to their home, you'll have to head out now. You have a meeting in exactly one hour," Charles said to Ciel.

"Right… I suppose we'll have to leave it at that, for tonight. Violet, I assume you have no further inquiries?"

"Uh… no…?"

"Good. Let's head out then. The car is ready."

* * *

After Sebastian had brought Violet up to bed, he escorted Ciel back out to his waiting car.

"In your explanations to Violet, I can't help but to notice that you left out the part about how your brother was briefly brought back to life by an obsessive former reaper," Sebastian said, as the two stood next to the SUV.

"Yes, well… some things are better left unsaid. It's bad enough that so many people witnessed it. That's something I just want to forget altogether," Ciel responded dryly.

"Withholding information, young master? So _damaging_ to the trust my young mistress has in you," Sebastian said mockingly, a shit-eating smirk on his face.

"Shut up, you!" Ciel replied, pointing his cane at Sebastian. "Now, I want you both to remain vigilant in these coming weeks. The chances of the angel returning within this time frame are high. Also, keep _very_ close tabs on Violet. Remember the plan."

"Of course, my lord. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were _worried_ about her," Sebastian said mockingly yet again, this time an amused grin upon his face.

"Don't be ridiculous. My concern lies with the family name. Charles already has his hands full with running whichever parts of the operations I can't manage, I'm swamped with handling headquarters, and while Carol is a Phantomhive by blood, she no longer holds the name or place in the line of inheritance. If something happened to Violet, there would be no one to manage the surface world affairs."

"Hmm… considering that Miss Violet and I will be taking the reins to the underworld within the year, how will she manage to also handle Phantomhive affairs?" Sebastian asked thoughtfully.

"That is something you two will need to discuss. Since Violet is technically a Michaelis now, it is up to Charles to carry on the family name. But until he can do so, Phantomhive needs to be Violet's first priority," Ciel replied, turning towards the SUV as the driver opened the door for him.

"Understood, my lord," Sebastian said, giving a quick bow before the driver shut Ciel's door.

As he made his way back inside, Sebastian contemplated what Ciel had said.

 _We'll have to take the reins, destroy St. Francis, then appoint a temporary ruler in our place so Violet can handle Phantomhive business on the surface world… once Charles can take over, we'll return to the thrones in the underworld…?_

He sighed as he headed upstairs and down the corridor to their bedroom. Careful not to wake Violet, he got into bed and pulled her close, taking in the scent of peach and cherry blossom that came from her hair.

 _Whatever needs to be done, my wife will always be_ my _first priority._


	23. A Suspicion

*** Hey everyone! So, this chapter is a bit all over the place, so I am sorry for that, but... it should be rather interesting, nonetheless. It is leading up to the next big event coming up. I would have had it posted over the weekend, but I was away from my PC.  
**

 **There's some lemon-y content here, as well.**

 **Thank you** **bananahannah07 for the latest reviews! It's funny that someone should mention a pregnancy... ;)**

 **Also, I was a little hesitant to add anything from the latest manga, but I really wanted to incorporate something from the story line, so that hesitation disappeared lol. ***

* * *

 **\- Violet's POV -**

After Sebastian left the room, I laid awake thinking.

 _Surely, Sebastian must hold some kind of regard for Ciel… especially after all these years._ I didn't want to believe that Ciel was just a meal for him.

My train of thought was starting to piss me off. _I'm a demon, I should understand all this…_

But it hadn't occurred to me til this very moment that I never really had time to experience true demonism… I went right from being a human to a demon with emotions… so I _wouldn't_ understand. It also magnified how little I still knew about it all. _I'll have to have Sebastian teach me more about everything._

I sighed heavily and rolled over onto my side, facing the empty spot on the bed next to me. I couldn't help but to smile at the thought of Sebastian soon taking his place in that spot. I was actually happy that I'd never known the emotionless void of being a mateless demon. It seemed lonely and depressing. It made me sad, wondering just how long Sebastian had had to endure that, before finally deciding he wanted a mate.

Just after I'd closed my eyes, I heard the door open and close quietly, and after a few moments of clothing rustling, I felt the bed shift slightly as Sebastian took his place next to me, now having changed into his pajama pants. I reached out and pulled him closer to me, which must have taken him by surprise.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, putting his own arms around me, as I had done to him.

I shook my head. "I've been awake pretty much since you brought me up here."

"Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Kind of. I just have a lot on my mind, is all."

"Anything I can be of assistance with?"

"Yeh… but not right now," I answered, running my hand down his bare chest and over his stomach. "It's too late at night for that…"

"I suppose we should try to get some rest, before-"

Sebastian let out a surprised growl as my hand traveled even lower over his abdomen. I smirked as I nibbled on his neck and ran my fingers under the waistband of his pajama pants. His right hand tugged gently at my hair as I ran my tongue around his ear, purposely breathing my hot breath all around it, since I knew that would get the results I was hoping for.

Sure enough, he elicited a more aroused snarl as my hand wrapped around the stiffening excitement in his pants. I took that as my cue to get up and remove the intrusive clothing from both of us before settling myself between his legs. I wrapped both of my hands around his shaft and daintily licked the tip, enjoying the heavy breathing of Sebastian.

"My kitten, you're teasing me," he moaned, as I slid my mouth down a ways before going back to just licking.

"Mhmm," I replied, not taking my mouth away from my yummy treat.

After a few more minutes of this, he gasped and lifted my head to remove himself from my mouth to keep himself from finishing. I couldn't help but to giggle at the fact that my method had succeeded. Without delay, I climbed over him and placed my hands on either side of his head.

"I'll let you get your rest now," I smirked mischievously.

"Not a chance in hell," he growled back, placing his hands on my hips and thrusting himself into me, which caught me by surprise.

My back arched a little as I rocked back and slid the rest of the way down. I felt as though I could already explode, but Sebastian wasn't going to make it that easy.

"I think it's time for me to tease _you_ a little," he smirked, holding me firmly in place so I couldn't move at all. Even though I was on top, he clearly had the advantage, here.

Nonetheless, he let go of my hips and ran his hands up my sides, stopping just below my breasts. I started moving up and down slowly at first, but as Sebastian ran his thumbs teasingly across my nipples, I began moving faster. He knew that would send me over the edge. At this rate, neither of us were going to last very long.

Finally, with a gasp and a moan, I shuddered and grasped the bedding in my hands as I felt him spill over inside me. He pulled me down so my head was resting on his shoulder, placing a kiss on my forehead.

" _Now_ we can rest," he said. I could hear the smirk in his tone as I yawned and cuddled closer to him. _Smartass._

* * *

 **\- Regular POV -**

The next few weeks were somewhat uneventful. Violet had wandered off a couple times, but only ended up on the hill outside of the village again. Sebastian had followed her both times, so he was there when she snapped out of it. She was still pretty upset about what was happening, but didn't really show it, like she had the first time.

One day, Mey-Rin was helping Violet in one of the guest rooms she was redecorating. They were trying to decide on a bedroom set.

"I think this one is the nicest one, yes I do!" Mey-Rin said, pointing to a set in the many catalogs they had surrounding them, including a laptop and a tablet, which displayed more options.

"I think so too. But only if they've got it in black. I don't-"

Suddenly, Violet covered her mouth.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

Violet quickly stood up and ran to the nearest bathroom, where she tossed up the breakfast they'd had that morning. After she swished her mouth out with water, she returned to the room, where Mey-Rin sat, looking worried.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I ate too much at breakfast. I'm fine now."

Mey-Rin opened her mouth hesitantly, then shut it again and blushed.

"What is it?" Violet asked.

"Ehhm, nothing! It was nothing important, no!"

Violet laughed. "If you say so! Let's call this furniture place and see if they have that set in black."

* * *

Over the course of the next week, there were several more situations that had sent Violet running to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. One of which she had been helping Sebastian in the kitchen while he prepared a raw meat dish that Ciel had requested for a meeting with a possible business partner. The moment she saw the slices of raw meat, her stomach gave a heave.

As she stood and went to the sink to rinse her mouth out with mouthwash, Sebastian appeared in the doorway.

"My love, are you unwell?" he asked, placing a hand on her forehead.

"No, no… you know I've never been able to stomach the sight of raw meat," she said, not entirely sure herself, though.

Sebastian placed a finger to his chin in thought. "Hmm… yes, I do recall, now that you mention it. Would you like me to make you some tea?"

"Yes please," she replied. Then something occurred to her. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

Violet set off to find Mey-Rin in the library down the hall, dusting the shelves.

"Oh, hello, Miss Violet!" she exclaimed with a curtsy.

"Mey-Rin, I have a huge favor to ask you…"

 *** That night***

That evening, while Sebastian had left to deliver the food to Ciel, Violet decided to take a bath. She laid back against the back of the bathtub, stretching out in the hot, bubbly water. She closed her eyes, but her attention kept being drawn to the paper bag tucked under a stack of towels on the shelf. She'd asked Mey-Rin to make a trip to the drug store for her, which resulted in Mey-Rin getting a nosebleed, blushing profusely, and squealing excitedly. Once she finally quieted down again, Violet made her promise not to say anything about it to anyone.

 _Maybe it's all in my head_ , Violet thought, closing her eyes again and resting against the tub. Then her eyes shot open and landed back on the bag. _But what if it's not?_

She and Sebastian hadn't really discussed having children, but she knew it was something they wanted later on down the road.

 _I didn't really want to start a family until all this shit with the underworld and St. Francis is taken care of… I don't want our children growing up in such uncertain times. Plus, we have yet to find and kill the people who wanted my parents dead._

With a heavy sigh, Violet gave up on trying to relax and got out of the bath, wrapping herself in a towel. She picked up the paper bag and took out the small box containing the pregnancy test. Holding it in her hands, she sighed again.

 _I guess it doesn't really matter how long I put this off, the results aren't going to change._

After following the instructions on the package, she set the test stick down on the counter and turned away from it, waiting the 2 minutes. She decided to get dressed in that time, throwing on the clothes she had set out a bit ago. As she started drying her hair with the towel, she slowly went back over to the counter.

 _It's been 2 minutes, I guess I should look…_

Violet closed her eyes and picked the test up. After counting to 3 in her head, she opened her eyes and looked down at the stick.

 _Oh…_

 *** Much later that night *  
**

Sebastian awoke from his recreational sleep to realize Violet was not sleeping next to him. He got up and checked around a few of the rooms around the castle, then noticed the front door was open.

With a growl, he ran out and followed her scent trail, even though he already had a feeling he knew where she had gone.

 _I just hope it's not too late._

 **\- Violet's POV -**

I woke up from my dazed state and realized I was just outside the small village. I looked behind me and saw the hill a ways off in the distance. _I'm closer than I was last time_ , I thought, remembering that I had been at the top of the hill the last couple times this happened. _I wonder if that means they're gaining more power over me…_

This thought enraged me, to the point that I felt sick to my stomach. I hurried to a nearby cluster of trees and threw up. Just as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, I felt a hand slowly rubbing my back. Startled, I turned to find Sebastian, looking concerned. _I didn't even sense him near me…_

"Are you alright, my love?" he asked.

"Yeh… I just… I don't know…" I stammered, catching my breath.

"I believe we should go into the village and find the leader… they may be able to help us out with our little problem," he said.

 _What is he talking about? And why would we get help from any of_ them _?_

"What do you-" I started, but then I noticed something. His eyes. There was something strange about his eyes. They were red, but there was a silvery shade to them. Then I sensed him. But he wasn't the one in front of me. He was moving closer, but still on the other side of the hill.

The Sebastian in front of me let out a strange growl as the sound of metal rang through the air. His eyes wide, he turned towards a distant figure getting closer, and I saw that there was a silver knife stuck in his back.

"Get down!" Sebastian shouted to me, as the distance between us lessened.

I fell to my knees as a handful of silver knives flew towards the imposter in front of me. At the very last second, he (it?) disappeared in a cloud of white feathers, the knives lodging into the tree trunk above my head.

"What the hell was that?!" I snarled, looking at the pile of white feathers on the ground as I stood to meet Sebastian.

"I'm sorry I failed to realize you were gone sooner," he said, finally within arm's reach.

I shook my head. "It's okay… you were asleep, you couldn't help it."

"It looks like they have stepped up their methods to lure you into the church," he said, pulling the knives out of the tree and inspecting the pile of feathers, as well. "Shape-shifting angels… how interesting."

"They better try harder. I was almost fooled, but I noticed the eyes. That, and I hadn't sensed you. Plus, it said something about the leader helping us out with our little problem..."

Sebastian frowned and raised an eyebrow. "What little problem?"

I froze, then shrugged. "Beats me. Probably just another way to try to lure me in… who knows, with these psychos. Let's get out of here."

I started walking towards the hill, but Sebastian placed a hand on my shoulder and moved out in front of me.

"Darling, have you been feeling okay lately? You seem a bit off."

"Well, between blacking out and ending up here, and dealing with Jesus freaks trying to kidnap me, I would have to agree with you."

He chuckled. "Aside from that… there's something I can't quite explain."

I shrugged again, trying to remain nonchalant. "It's probably nothing." I took his hand and cuddled up to his arm as we started walking towards the hill.

 _I should probably tell him soon… he already senses something…_


	24. Withholding Information

*** Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter! It's been mentioned by a couple people in the past that the chapters are too short. However, I don't like making sections/chapters/paragraphs, etc. too long, usually a minimum of 2,100 words, but no more than 2,500 or so. I like following what I learned in a college writing class a few years ago. The majority of readers will lose interest or become frustrated if a section/chapter/paragraph etc. is too long, and may not read it as carefully as they would, otherwise. I may increase the minimum words per chapter in the sequel and prequel to this story, though. It's kind of too late to do it for this one, since I've already got so much written, and I'd hate to have to go through and figure out break-off points if I were to condense chapters to make them longer. Please bear with me for this story, and I'll keep that in mind for the next one :) *  
**

 _I wonder how I should tell him,_ Violet thought, sitting in an overstuffed chair in the small library. _Is he going to be mad? Upset? What if he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore? What if he decides to abandon us, cuz he hates children, even his own?_

"Miss Violet?"

Violet snapped out of her terrifying thoughts to see Mey-Rin holding the phone out to her.

"It's the furniture company, they want to confirm your order, yes!" she said.

"Oh… right," Violet took the phone and spoke into it. "Hello, this is Mrs. Michaelis… I actually need to cancel the order, something has come up, and we won't be needing the furniture right now… Thank you."

She handed the phone back to a surprised Mey-Rin and slipped back into her thoughts.

"What? You decided not to get the furniture? Why?" she asked.

"Uh… well… because we'll be needing a different kind of furniture for that room…"

Mey-Rin gasped and flailed her arms. "Does that mean…?! You're really…?!"

Violet stood and put her hands on the maid's shoulders. "Shhhh… yes, the test came up positive. No one else knows, yet. I'm trying to think of a way to reveal it to Sebastian. Will you help me come up with a plan?"

Mey-Rin calmed down and nodded. "Of course! I won't say a word to anyone, I won't!"

The two sat down at the small table in the corner of the room and started writing some things down.

"Maybe you should incorporate cats into it!" she suggested.

"Hmm… it's possible… I really wanted to-" Violet covered her mouth and dashed off to the bathroom. After she returned, she sat down with a sigh. "I can't wait until this sickness stops…"

"I read that sometimes it can last throughout the entire pregnancy!" said Mey-Rin, tapping her two index fingers together in front of her.

"What?!" Violet exclaimed. "Shit… with my luck, I'll have that problem."

"Have what problem?"

Violet and Mey-Rin jumped and turned to the doorway, where they found that Sebastian had just entered the room. The girls quickly shuffled their papers containing ideas together and flipped them over. Sebastian just raised an eyebrow.

"Oh… uhm, nothing. We were just talking about…"

"Furniture! The new furniture Miss Violet ordered for the ba- uh, guest room!" Mey-Rin exclaimed quickly.

"I see," Sebastian said, putting a finger to his chin. "That reminds me, Mey-Rin, have you finished polishing all of the furniture, yet?"

"Uhhh I-"

"I asked her to help me with this, so it's my fault she hasn't finished yet," Violet confessed. "I really need her help with this."

"Nonetheless, I wanted you to accompany me to Young Master's to go over a few things. You and Mey-Rin can work on whatever it is you're working on later."

"Oh… okay. When are you planning to head over there?"

"Be ready in 10 minutes," he replied.

"Okay, I will," Violet smiled.

Sebastian stood there for another moment, as though he had something to say, but then he turned and left. The two girls giggled quietly.

"That was close," Violet said, gathering the notes up into a neater pile. "We'll have to burn these."

"Don't you need them anymore?" Mey-Rin asked, taking the papers and going over to the fireplace.

"No, I think I've got an idea. Thanks for all your help, though!"

Violet flashed a smile to Mey-Rin as she headed to the foyer to meet up with Sebastian.

 _Now I just have to wait for the right moment._

* * *

Sebastian led the way into Ciel's office, where Charles was preparing tea.

"Ah, good, you're here. Young Master will be here any moment. He is just finalizing a business deal. Please, sit." He gestured towards the group of overstuffed chairs by the fireplace.

Just as they'd gotten situated, Ciel came in and hung his top hat on the rack by the door, and handed his cane off to Charles.

"Bloody bastards, taking me for a fool-" he stopped once he realized his guests were present. "Sorry for the wait, I had business to tend to."

Ciel took a seat across from them and cleared his throat as Charles served tea.

"Sebastian has informed me of what happened, the last time you ended up wandering off," he started, taking the cup Charles handed to him. "The threats I have been receiving are becoming increasingly grave. I don't think we can wait another 7 months to put our plan into action to end them. Given Violet's condition-"

Violet's eyes widened and she coughed a few times, subtly shaking her head so only Ciel could notice.

"Are you alright, darling?" Sebastian asked, setting the teacup down that she had been holding and rubbing her back.

"Yes, I'm fine. I think I just inhaled a bit of tea," she lied. "I'm okay."

Ciel gave Violet a knowing look before continuing. "Uh… I think it would be best if we act immediately to put an end to this. The sooner, the better."

"I agree, I totally agree, the sooner the better," Violet spoke up, nodding her head. Then she stopped. "Uhm… what exactly is the plan, anyway?"

"The next time you find yourself near the village, you are to continue on to the church. Keep up the façade that you're under their control. Sebastian, Charles, and I will follow you. Much like they have done to us, we have a few agents in place on the inside of their organization, as well. Once we're in, we'll take down the leader first. From there, everything should fall into place."

"That seems a little too simple. There must be more to it," Sebastian remarked.

"No, that's quite it. It sounds easy, but they are rather powerful, so it will be a challenge. With all of us working together, though, everything should go as planned," Ciel said, resting his head in one of his hands. "The angel hasn't come to you again, yet, and at this point, I think it would be too risky, now that we know they can shape shift. We might as well go to it."

"So… how will you know when I end up under their control and wander off?" Violet asked.

"That's the thing. We wouldn't, unless Sebastian alerted us. Timing is crucial, so Charles and I figured that we would stay at your place. We would monitor the front door, so we'll be following you closely." He looked at Sebastian. "And you'll stay close to her every hour of the day. Does this work for you?"

"Yes, that would be fine," Sebastian said.

"Good. We'll be over this evening. I have a few things I need to tend to before then." Ciel stood, so Violet and Sebastian did the same. "Oh, Sebastian… I need to speak to Violet for a moment. You and Charles can wait in the lobby."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, but nodded as Charles led the way out of the office, closing the door behind them.

"How long have you known?" Ciel asked, turning to Violet.

"Uhm… I just found out yesterday… but I've had a suspicion for the last month…" Violet said. "But… how do you know…?"

"I had a meeting with the owner of the drug store yesterday, and ran into Mey-Rin. In her frenzy of embarrassment, she let it slip that she was buying that test for you. I assumed it came out positive by your reaction when I brought up your 'condition'," Ciel stated. "By which I was actually referring to your random disappearances. You just unknowingly confirmed my own suspicion."

 _Fuck… this kid is smart._

"Oh…" Violet blushed.

"So, Sebastian doesn't know yet, then?"

"No… I'm waiting for the right moment to tell him."

"Well… I'm not usually one to encourage someone to withhold information, especially not from one's own mate, but maybe you should wait until after we take St. Francis down to tell him," Ciel said. "Otherwise, he may lose sight of the mission due to worrying about you, and we cannot afford even the smallest error."

"Yeh… I suppose that makes sense."

"On that note, we'll have to hope that they'll try to draw you in soon, before your condition becomes obvious." Ciel said.

"What do you mean?"

"The gestation period for a demon is only 6 months. With that acceleration, compared to a human, it'll become visibly obvious within the next couple weeks, since it seems you're already a month in."

"Oh… I didn't know that." Violet said, absentmindedly running a hand over her stomach.

"I suggest you pick up a book or two on the matter. Human pregnancy is pretty straight-forward, but…" he trailed off, glancing at the door. "That is all I have, for now. We will see you this evening."

Ciel waved his hand dismissively just as there was a knock on the door. Charles cracked the door open and spoke.

"Young master, your next appointment is waiting. Shall I tell him-"

"No, send him in."

Violet left the office, passing a few men in suits, escorted by Charles, on the way to the lobby. Charles gave her a nod before ushering the men into Ciel's office. Sebastian turned to her as she approached.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"He just wanted to go over a couple more things about the mission," Violet lied, feeling horrible about doing so. _It's for the best, right now._

"And he had to speak to you _privately_ about that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeh, I guess," she shrugged.

"Hmm…" Sebastian studied her, as though trying to find any visible evidence that she was lying. "Are you certain there isn't something you're not telling me?"

 _Only that I'm carrying your child._

"Of course, my love," Violet said, putting a hand to his cheek. "I've got nothing to hide from you."

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

Even with her words, I still had the feeling there was something. I'd been sensing something for the last couple weeks. I was sure that it wasn't intentional, perhaps it was just an effect of the control St. Francis was having over her. Either way, I didn't like it.

 _I just want my wife back._

We arrived back home, where we found the servants hauling large boxes that had been delivered into the house.

"Is this the new furniture you've ordered, darling?" I asked Violet.

"Oh… uh yeh, I think it is!"

"Would you like me to help you put it together tonight?"

"I think I'm too tired to do it today, honestly. I kind of just want to take a hot bath and relax."

"Of course. I'll go get it started for you, then," I said, giving her a quick kiss before making my way upstairs to our bathroom.

I started the water and added lilac-scented bath powder. As I gathered a couple towels to put on the warmer, I noticed a strange stick in the otherwise empty garbage can.

 _What in the world is this?_

I picked it up and examined it, when I realized what it was.

 _Is this what she's been hiding from me?_

 **\- Regular POV -**

Sebastian quickly put the test back in the trash when he heard Violet coming closer.

"Your bath is ready," he told her, shutting off the water.

"Thanks, babe," she said.

Sebastian pulled her close to him and looked into her eyes.

"My love… you know you can tell me anything, right?" he said.

"Mhmm," she answered, nodding.

"Alright… I just wanted to make sure you knew."

He ran his hands down her sides, pausing at her stomach, where his thumbs ran gently over it. After giving her a kiss, he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Violet stood there, frozen to the spot for a moment. _Oh shit, does he know already? Why didn't he say anything, if he does?_

Once she calmed down, she got undressed and sunk into the hot, lilac-scented water. Running a hand over her stomach, she thought about how he might react when she _does_ tell him.

 _I don't think he'll be mad, now… probably really surprised. Now that he's been suspecting something, he may even just be relieved that that's what it is. I just don't like keeping things from him… the look on his face breaks my heart. I don't want him to think he can't trust me._

After relaxing for a while, the water started getting a bit cold. Violet decided to get out instead of run more hot water. She put her clothes on, and picked up her brush to start working on her hair. Suddenly, a feeling of panic and overwhelming fear took over her.

 _What am I doing here?_ she thought, dropping the brush she had in her hand. _I need to get out of here!_

Violet ran out of the bathroom and ran into Sebastian, who caught her in his arms.

"My love? What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her panic. He caught a look at her eyes and gasped. They were now mostly silver, the outer edges were the only purple that remained.

"Get away from me! Let me go!" she shouted, pushing him away and running down the stairs towards front door.

"Violet! Wait!" he shouted, running after her. But she had already disappeared.

"Mister Sebastian? What happened?" Finny asked, looking worried.

"Call Young Master and tell him and Charles to start heading to the St. Francis village immediately," Sebastian said, hurrying out the door.


	25. Emotions (The Takedown)

*** SO, this chapter flip-flops between POVs quite a bit, but it was the only way for it to make sense, in my , it adds a dramatic effect :)  
**

 **Also, I am going to be VERY busy over the next week or two. Aside from my usual 40 hours a week at work, I am going to be pulling some serious overtime... 12 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday (next weekend)... so please forgive me if I don't upload. If I can, I'll update probably in the middle of the week next week.**

 **One more thing: I just wanted to ask what everyone thinks of the story line so far, and whether anyone has found any discrepancies in it yet. If so, please let me know, and I will update something in the later chapters to make it work (keep in mind we do have a few more major things going on in upcoming chapters, so I'm basically just talking about small things). Otherwise, I think it is pretty solid so far. Thank you again to my readers! :) ***

 **\- Violet's POV -**

"Come, child, take my hand. The leader is waiting for you."

I was suddenly aware of my surroundings. I looked up from my kneeling position to find an older blond woman in a flowing white robe, her hand extended out for me to take.

 _What the hell? When did I get here? The last thing I remember is brushing my hair after I took a bath…_

"Don't be afraid. We will help rid you of the evil, unclean filth that has touched you," she spoke again.

 _Filth? I oughta smack this bitch…_

I pushed my anger down and focused on staying calm and doing as Ciel had instructed. I had to pretend like I was still under their control. I doubt they would know the difference. And if they did, they would probably just figure I was willingly going along with it.

"I… I'm scared," I said quietly, putting on my best act. I reached up and took her hand, and she helped me up.

"No one can hurt you anymore," she said with a disgustingly sweet smile.

The woman led me through a few rows of small homes. As we passed, others in flowing white robes gasped and followed us. Soon enough, we reached the massive front doors to the giant church in the center of the village. Two what I assumed were guards opened either door, allowing us to enter, then shutting it to the crowd that had trailed us.

"Right this way, child. We will get you cleaned up and ready for your transformation," the woman said, leading me towards a door off to the side of the main cathedral.

There was a large, white bathtub in the middle of the room, and a few other older woman. Reluctantly, I allowed them to strip off my clothes and lead me into the tub, where they scrubbed my skin meticulously.

 _If there wasn't so much at stake right now, I would have already ripped these broads apart,_ I thought begrudgingly.

Finally, they pulled me out of the tub and dressed me in a flowing white gown, just like they were all wearing. And that's the last thing I remember…

* * *

 **\- Regular POV -**

Sebastian, Ciel, and Charles were waiting behind a stretch of fence along the edge of the village. They heard several people excitedly chatting about how the unclean one had finally been acquired, as they headed to the church. One of them snuck around the fence to the three.

"Ciel, Charles, Sebastian," he said in greeting. "Here, put these on. And don't forget to shift your aura to mask it."

Sebastian's eyes widened. "Mr. Halbard?"

"Ah, please, call me Chester. Good to see you again," he replied.

"Do you two know each other?" Ciel asked

"We met briefly when he dropped by to discuss the missing prostitute case a couple months ago," Sebastian said. "I didn't know you worked closely with young master."

The three of them put on white robes and pulled the hoods up over their heads.

"Good. Let's go."

They followed Chester through rows of small houses, blending in with everyone else.

As they all stood outside the church, Sebastian tried to communicate with Violet.

 ** _We're here, are you okay?_**

Nothing.

He leaned over and whispered to Ciel. "I'm not getting a response from her."

"Let's sneak in around back," Ciel said, nodding to someone in the crowd, presumably another agent. "Chester, will you direct us to where they bring new admissions?"

Chester nodded, and led them around the back of the building, where there was a steel door off to the side. He took out a key and unlocked it, then held it open before following them in.

"Wait here, I will see if they have her in there."

Sebastian, Charles, and Ciel waited while Chester rounded the corner and knocked on a door towards the end of a hall.

"Brother Halbard, what can I help you with?" came the voice of an older-sounding woman.

"I was just wondering how long until the service starts," he replied in a light tone.

"It will still be a while… we are preparing to extract the _contamination_ from Miss Phantomhive."

Sebastian growled and stormed around the corner, past Chester and the woman, and into the room. Violet was laid out on a stainless steel table, clearly not in her mind right now. There were six others standing around her, most of them older women, as well. The room looked similar to the one that had been under the clothing shop, where they had killed Scotty.

"You!" one of the old ladies exclaimed, pointing a finger at him.

"Violet!" Sebastian rushed to Violet's side and looked her over. She seemed fine, nothing had been done yet. But she was not responding, just staring off distantly.

"How did this filthy pervert get in here!?" the lady who had answered the door spat.

Suddenly, Ciel had rushed forward and grabbed the woman around the neck, his eyes glowing.

"Mind your tongue, you old hag!" he growled as his nails dug into her throat. Blood poured out as he reached in and ripped her tongue out through her neck. She fell to the floor, choking and gurgling.

"What have you done to my wife!?" Sebastian shouted at the other women.

They made to attack, but he swiftly threw several silver knives, impaling them to the wall behind them. Chester took this opportunity to snap their necks, leaving them all to hang lifelessly.

Sebastian turned his attention back to Violet.

"Violet, can you hear me? Please answer me!" he said, placing his hands on her cheeks.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking, and the church bells began to ring.

"She's here," Chester said.

"Who's here?" Ciel asked, grabbing the wall to keep from falling over.

"The angel…" he replied.

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

Violet's eyes finally focused on me.

"No…" she said quietly.

"My love?"

"No!" she shouted now, suddenly leaping off the table. "Stay away from me!"

"Violet, I don't understand…" I trailed off, reaching out to her across the table.

"Don't touch me, you filthy demon!" she shouted.

"She's still under the angel's control," Ciel said. "We need to find it and destroy it, before something happens. Let's go."

"Shouldn't someone stay here and help Sebastian?" Chester asked.

"He can handle it. It's probably going to take the three of us, plus the hidden agents, to destroy the angel enough to kill its hold over Violet."

Chester nodded and followed Ciel into the hallway, where they met up with Charles. Ciel quickly instructed him on what was going on, and the three of them headed into the main hall of the church.

"You impregnated me with this wretched demon spawn!" Violet shouted at me.

"Violet, I…"

 _So it's true…_

"I won't do it! I won't have your child!" she yelled, grabbing a large knife of a nearby table of various medical equipment and putting it to her stomach.

 **\- Regular POV -**

Ciel, Chester, and Charles quietly walked into the main cathedral, where several people had already taken seats and were whispering among themselves. At the head of the hall, an angel with large, white feathery wings had descended at the altar, surrounded by six other angels with smaller wings. The three men stood off to the side of the stage area, waiting for her to begin addressing the congregation.

"Brothers and Sisters of St. Francis, today is a glorious day for us. We have finally captured the heiress to the throne of Hell, and we can now proceed to purify her, so that she can assist us in taking down the heir! Once he is destroyed, we will be able to wipe out the rest of the filthy, evil beings of the underworld, so that every being of Heaven and Earth can live in peace, without fear and temptation!"

Applause erupted throughout the hall, but it was short-lived.

"Your beliefs are twisted, lady," said Ciel from the sidelines.

"Who said that!" someone shouted.

The angel turned her attention to Ciel. "You! How did you get in here!"

"Well, that's a rather boring topic for conversation. A bit of small talk is customary before getting down to business, but I think I'd like to skip it, this time. Gentlemen?"

Aside from Charles and Chester, seven others stood up among the congregation, poised to attack, at Ciel's command. The six angels readied themselves, as well.

The angel laughed. "So you've had insiders planted all along, have you? I underestimated your strategy. Nonetheless, you won't win this one!"

Ciel smirked. "Go."

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

"Violet, please, put the knife down," I spoke calmly, though inside, I was a wreck.

"No! This monster can't live! It's gotta die!"

I felt my eyes start burning. "But… it's our child. You are really prepared to destroy something we created together?" I asked, hearing my voice crack. _So… this is emotion?_

I knew it wasn't really her talking. I knew she wouldn't do this on her own. But I still felt heartbroken, seeing her like this.

 **\- Regular POV -**

The angels were fighting the men from the congregation. Feathers and blood were flying in all directions. The hall had basically cleared out, aside from those involved in the battle.

Ciel, Charles, and Chester had surrounded the lead angel, all of them taking turns with various attacks. They'd already destroyed parts of her wings, and left a few gashes in her flesh, but her strength had only diminished slightly.

"You'll have to do better than that, you little slimeball!" she growled at Ciel, before knocking him back and sending him flying into a wall.

"Young master!" Charles shouted. He snarled, then slashed across the angel's throat with his sharp claws.

 **\- Violet's POV -**

I regained control of myself and realized I had a knife in my hand, aimed at my stomach. I looked up to see Sebastian on the other side of the steel table, his eyes shining with tears.

"My love… please, put it down. Talk to me," he said, his voice cracking.

 _What am I doing? Why is he so upset?_

"Se… Sebastian?" I stammered.

 **\- Regular POV -**

The angel fell to the floor, gasping for air. Blood was flowing out of the slash across her throat. After watching her for a few minutes, she stopped moving and breathing. Charles ran over to Ciel, while Chester went around to check on the other agents, who had just defeated the last side-angel.

"Young Master, are you okay?" Charles asked, carefully sitting him up.

"Huh? Uhg… I'm fine…" Ciel said, waving him off. "Is it over now?"

"Yeh, it's over."

"Good… go check on the other agents. I'm alright."

"Yes, my lord," Charles said, getting up and joining Chester in making sure the others were okay.

 **\- Sebastian's POV -**

"Violet?" I asked cautiously.

"Sebastian… what's going on? I don't know what happened…"

I slowly started moving towards her, around the table, noticing her eyes had gone back to their normal purple. _They must have defeated the angel._

"It's alright, my love."

As I got closer, her eyes widened in fear again, and they flashed back to silver. I froze.

"This demon must die!" she shouted, pulling the knife back.

Time seemed to slow down as the blade plunged towards her stomach.

 **\- Regular POV -**

A shadow rose over Ciel, his back facing away from the source of it. He slowly turned, and realized the angel had risen, and was now diving towards him, several sharp, razor-like feathers held between her fingers, extended out in front of her. He flinched and closed his eyes, waiting to be hit, but it never happened.

"Don't even _think_ about trying to hurt Ciel! He's mine!" came a high, girly voice.

Ciel opened his eyes and saw that the angel had been decapitated. He looked down to the other side of the church just in time to see a blond girl with drill-curl pigtails catch a boomerang-type blade in her hand.

"L… Lizzy!"

 **\- Violet's POV -**

I came back to, once again, as I realized I had the knife plunging towards my stomach. I released it from my grip at the very last second, and it dropped to the floor with a metallic clank.

 _Was I about to kill our child?!_

I looked up again to see Sebastian, slightly closer to me than the last time. This time, he actually had tears rolling down his cheeks, as his eyes were wide with horror.

"Sebastian!" I rushed over to him and threw my arms around him.

"Violet! I lost you again for a minute…" he choked out. He looked into my eyes, probably to verify that they were the right color, then pulled the neckline of the robe down to check my shoulder. The cross that had been there had finally disappeared.

"It's over… it's over. It's okay," I said, putting my hands to Sebastian's cheeks and wiping them dry before giving him a kiss.

He picked me up in his arms and started heading towards the door.

 **\- Regular POV -**

"Lizzy! What are you doing here?" Ciel asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"I was told that there were some souls I needed to reap here. I never imagined I'd find _you_ here though!" she squealed the last part, flipping her death scythe between her fingers.


	26. Emotions (Noticeable)

*** This one is pretty short! I didn't want to split the next chapter, because stuff is happening! This is basically just the end of the battle. Now that I'll have more time again, I'll be updating again this weekend.**  
 **bananahannah07 glad you picked up on that! Sebastian IS OOC right now, the reason will be revealed soon! I hoped I made it obvious without being TOO obvious.**  
 **Eeeeep I'm excited! While I would like to stick to my weekend upload plans, there's a chance I might cave in and post the next chapter before then... I know I won't get too much hate for that lol xD ***

"Souls… of angels?" Ciel asked, still shaken a little by what had just happened.

"Hmm, no, no… it looks like a bunch of old ladies," she answered, flipping through her reaper book. Ciel slowly approached her as she closed the book again and looked up. "Ciel… I mean, I know you aren't _really_ Ciel, but… I've really missed you."

Sebastian carried Violet down the hall and into the main cathedral, where everyone was gathered. He stopped short when he noticed Elizabeth and Ciel talking.

"Miss Elizabeth?" Sebastian asked, surprised.

"Oh! Hello, Sebastian!" she said with a smile.

In spite of her friendly demeanor, Sebastian moved to Ciel's side protectively, setting Violet down behind him.

"It's a shock to see you here," he said. "May I ask why you are?"

"I'm just here on reaper business!" she said cheerfully.

"Actually, Eliz-… Lizzy… saved me from getting blindsided by the angel," Ciel spoke up, turning to Sebastian.

"Is that so?" Sebastian asked, tipping his head to one side.

Lizzy looked slightly uncomfortable at Sebastian's tone, then turned back to Ciel with a sigh, her expression somber.

"I know, I tried to kill you… I was unwell, though… and after that, they kept me locked away both as punishment and assistance to get me better… after a hundred or so years, they finally decided I was okay again… I've been hoping to run into you so I could tell you how sorry I am…" she explained, her lip trembling as her green eyes filled with tears. "I was just so broken from everything…" She trailed off, and began sobbing loudly.

Ciel cleared his throat and looked awkwardly at Sebastian, who did nothing but nod towards Lizzy.

"Uh… please, don't cry, Lizzy… it's alright, I forgive you, I know how devastating it must have-… it all worked out for the better, see?" Ciel attempted.

"I'M SORRY!" she sobbed again.

After a couple more failed attempts at trying to calm her, Ciel took a more firm tone.

"Elizabeth! Stop crying! It's all for nothing! I am okay with how things turned out, because I can oversee the end of the war that has been going on since before I was born! If you can't control yourself right now, we'll have to excuse ourselves from your company."

Just like that, Lizzy quieted down and looked up at Ciel. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, Ciel…" she said quietly.

"It's fine," Ciel replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I forgive you. I don't want you feeling guilty anymore. What's done is done… though I do think you are a damn fool for ending your own life."

Elizabeth giggled. "Yes, I agree. I regret it every day. Especially all the pain and trouble I caused my family." Then she noticed Violet, who was peeking around Sebastian. "Oh, who is this?"

"She is a descendant of mine. My granddaughter Violet. She is also Sebastian's mate." Ciel answered, as Lizzy stepped forward to shake hands with Violet, Sebastian stepping aside.

"Your descendant? Oh…" Lizzy trailed off, her expression falling slightly. "So you eventually found a mate of your own then…?"

"Something like that. We were only together long enough to have two children. My first son, Vincent, and my second son, Ciel."

"What happened with your mate?"

Ciel cleared his throat. "I… I'd rather not go into that right now," he said quietly. Then he straightened up and spoke more firmly. "After all, we're here on business. Perhaps you should do what you came here to do, as well."

"Elizabeth Midford, this is not social hour. Have you even reaped a single soul yet?"

Everyone turned to see William T. Spears making his way towards them.

"Uhm, I'm sorry, William. I was just-"

"The only thing you are doing is putting me in a position for more overtime," he interrupted, pushing his glasses up with the clippers of his death scythe. "I hate overtime."

"Sorry, I'll get to work," Lizzy said, starting towards the hallway that led to the back room. She stopped and turned around again. "Ciel, let's catch up sometime, okay?"

"Yes, I would like that," Ciel said with a small smile.

Elizabeth smiled brightly and set off to work. William turned to the rest of them.

"So much demon scum in one room," he remarked with a sneer. He looked directly at Violet. "It's unfortunate you're one of them now. Such a waste of noble blood, in my opinion."

Violet glared at him. "Who the hell do you think you are, four-eyes?"

Ciel and Sebastian snickered, while William raised an eyebrow.

"I'd mind my tongue, if I were you, miss. If I hadn't stepped in to keep Grell from harvesting your soul a couple years ago, you wouldn't even be here right now." He glanced sideways at Sebastian. "To this day, I've never stooped as low as that night I defended a demon."

Sebastian's eyes grew wide as he made a gesture for William to stop talking, but Violet noticed.

"What is he talking about?" she asked him.

William sighed impatiently and pushed his glasses up again. "The night you attempted to end your own life. It's rather fortunate that I showed up to check on Grell, or I would have ended up with a half demon, half reaper in my division. Not only is that most undesirable, the amount of paperwork that would have caused is unforgivable."

"You must have me confused with someone else… cuz I never did that," Violet said.

William glanced at Sebastian again and rolled his eyes. "Of course you didn't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go oversee Elizabeth's progress."

With that, he walked away in the direction Elizabeth had gone. Violet looked over to Sebastian.

"Why does he think I tried to kill myself?" she asked him.

"I've no idea," Sebastian replied. He hated that he was lying and keeping something from her, but this was one of those things she'd be better off not knowing about.

Violet was studying his expression, as though she wasn't sure whether she believed him or not. Before she could say anything, Charles spoke up from the other side of the podium.

"William is a bit of a sod… he does nothing but fret about overtime and complain about his underlings. Don't worry about it," he said, looking at Violet.

"Right… I won't," she said, still sounding hesitant. But, with a shrug, she wrapped her arms around Sebastian and looked up into his eyes. "So… now that the angels are gone… what next?"

"I suppose it really isn't our responsibility to clean up this mess," Sebastian said, looking around at the angel bodies on the floor. "I think they'll disappear on their own, anyway. I think we can call it a night, here."

Violet tilted her head to one side. That's odd… normally he just cleans everything up anyway… I suppose he's probably just drained from everything that happened tonight.

Chester appeared in the doorway, breathless. "Yeh, you lot go on home. I'll handle things around here. Even though the main threat has been destroyed, there's no telling what else could happen."

After giving their thanks to him and the other agents, the three of them made their way out of the church and headed back towards the hill, where a black SUV was waiting. After arriving at the bay of elevators in the run-down building, they said their goodbyes.

"Thanks for the help, Ciel, Charles," Sebastian said. "Violet, shall we head home?"

Violet nodded and followed Sebastian into the elevator. After the door closed, Ciel turned to Charles.

"Does he seem a bit off to you?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Now that you mention it, he does," Charles answered. "How did you pick up on it?"

"It's pretty obvious. After having him in my service for so many years, it's not difficult to pick up on. For one, he never calls me Ciel. Second, he never passes up the chance to clean up a mess, especially when it involves the bodies of enemies. Not to mention, I picked up on actual emotion coming from him earlier. Just small things I've noticed since we arrived at St. Francis this morning."

The two got into their own elevator.

"Maybe he was just stressed out, worrying about Violet and the baby," Charles said, as the elevator car made its way to the lower level.

Ciel scoffed. "Sebastian? Stressed? It doesn't happen. And I know that having a mate and a child alters the usual emotionless state, but this is something else… something I can't quite put my finger on. I guess we'll have to wait and see."


	27. Emotions (Void)

*** Ahh finally lol. I have had so much going on, it's ridiculous xD**

 **Thank you to** **madhatteryamaha for letting me know about the formatting issue in the previous chapter... I have never seen that happen before lol. But, it is fixed :)** **  
**

 **Hope you all enjoy this chapter. We're getting a smidge closer to the end of this story! :o ***

* * *

Sebastian helped Violet out of the SUV and carefully led her into the house.

"Come now, darling, let me draw a bath for you and help you get ready for bed," he said, as they headed upstairs.

"I'm fine, really. Not hurt at all. You don't have to help me so much," Violet said.

"Of course I do. Today has been rather taxing for you, both physically and mentally. I want you to rest for a few days," he replied.

Shrugging it off, Violet allowed him to help her bathe, then got ready and climbed into bed.

"When were you going to tell me about the baby?" Sebastian asked, pulling the blankets over her.

 _Oh yeh, that's right… he found out before I could tell him…_

"I planned to tell you after the takedown… I figured you would be too distracted if you knew before…" Violet answered. "Please don't be mad…"

Sebastian sighed. "I'm not. I'm just glad you're both okay… I was so scared when you were holding that knife."

 _Scared? Sebastian? No way. Not even a mated demon feels fear…_

"Sebastian… have you been feeling okay?" she asked, leaning against the headboard and looking into his eyes as he sat next to her.

"Never better, darling. Why do you ask?"

"You seem like… not yourself…" she trailed off as she noticed a flash in his eyes. _What was that about? Am I just imagining all this?_

"Oh? How so?" he asked, tilting his head to one side as his hand slowly crept up her leg. While this would normally have caused her to pin him down and rip his clothes off, there was something about the look on his face that was unsettling. She was beginning to feel uneasy with the situation when there was a knock on the door.

"Mister Sebastian, a letter was just delivered!" came Finny's voice from the other side.

Sebastian sighed and got up to go to the door. While his back was turned to her, Violet caught a glimpse of something on the back of his neck. A chill ran down her spine as she wondered what it was.

"Finny, if you wouldn't mind telling the others, we would like no disturbances tonight," Sebastian said as he took the letter from Finny and shut the door, cutting the young blonde off as he started to say something.

He sat down next to Violet again, his eyes flashing in that unnatural manner again. She felt her stomach turn in fear as she fought to keep her current mood from being visible on her face.

 _I guess I'll just have to play along if I want to get a closer look at that thing on his neck,_ she thought. Then another thought crossed her mind, which really bothered her. _Since when do I have to pretend I want to be close to him? What the hell is going on?_

Noticing Sebastian was distracted by reading the letter, Violet moved closer and ran her hand up his arm, over his shoulder and closer to the back of his neck. Right as her fingers brushed over his shirt collar, he growled, and his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist roughly, causing her to shriek in surprise. For a split second, his eyes lit up like she had never seen before. But then he brought her hand up to his mouth and softly kissed her fingertips.

"Why are you so jumpy, darling?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

 _Good question… what the hell am I being so scared for? He's my mate… besides, I'm sure I could take him if he tried to do anything… but I don't think he would… he wouldn't try to hurt me or our child…_

"Am I? I'm sorry… it's probably just the after effects of everything that happened today. What's that on the back of your neck, though?"

"Hmm?" Sebastian got up and looked in the mirror that hung on the wall near the door. "There's nothing on the back of my neck."

Violet got up and walked towards him. "But there is-"

"Violet… you're exhausted, and it seems you're becoming delirious from it. I insist that you get some rest." He placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her back into bed.

 _He is lying through his fucking teeth! He's trying to make me think that_ I'm _crazy!_

Sebastian pulled the blankets up over her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Now, try to get some sleep. I need to go take care of some things. I'll be back by morning."

"Where are you going?" Violet asked, sitting up again.

"I must run a couple errands for young master," he replied, holding up the letter. "Please do not worry yourself."

With that, he left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him.

 _I thought things were supposed to go back to normal after we took St. Francis down… not get weirder._

Violet sighed heavily and closed her eyes, placing a hand on her stomach.

 _There must be something more going on with that. The takedown was way too easy._

* * *

The next morning, Violet sat up in bed, sipping the chamomile tea that Mey-Rin had brought to her at 8am sharp. She was skimming through one of the pregnancy books she'd picked up a few days ago. She'd already read the pages up to the 5th week, and was now reading something in the 23rd week.

"Wait… what?" she questioned no one, looking closer at the page. "How…? That… that looks painful… AH okay, no no no…!" She slammed the book shut and threw it to the end of the bed, feeling her face grow hot.

 _I probably shouldn't read that far ahead… I don't wanna spend this entire pregnancy DREADING the arrival of our child…_

With a final glare at the offending book, Violet got out of bed and threw some clothes on, trying to figure out if she wanted to work on the baby's room more, or plan the wedding. She decided to work on the wedding, since she wanted to wait for Sebastian so they could work on the baby's room together.

 _Now that I think about it… he's still not back yet,_ she thought, feeling worry boil up inside her.

Violet closed her eyes and tried to pick up on his location, but couldn't get a read on it.

 _Okay, now I'm getting REALLY worried…_

She headed downstairs, and found Mey-Rin opening the front door, revealing Ciel and Charles.

"Hello, Violet. Sorry for dropping in like this, but there's a couple things we wanted to discuss with you and Sebastian," Ciel said, as they stepped inside.

"Well, that would be fine, but Sebastian isn't back yet," Violet replied, unable to hide the fact that she was upset about it.

"Not back yet? Where did he go?" Ciel asked.

"He left last night to run some errands for you. He headed out right after he received your letter-"

"Letter?! I never sent a letter, nor did I ask him to run errands for me," Ciel said, sounding confused.

"But… he said…" Violet stammered, feeling a lump in her throat. "I think something is wrong… I can't pick up on his location or anything…"

Ciel exchanged a look with Charles and nodded.

"What? What was that about? Do you know something?" Violet asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Well, we initially came to discuss some troublesome findings, pertaining to St. Francis… but that may have to wait." Ciel stepped forward and stood in front of Violet. "Charles and I are going to investigate-"

"I'm coming with you," Violet said.

"No, you will stay here. You are in no condition to be put in a dangerous-"

"Bullshit! Ciel, if Sebastian is in danger-"

"Then we will handle it. Do you think he would ever forgive us if we allowed you to accompany us, and something happened to you or the baby? We would be lucky if he didn't _murder_ us."

Violet sighed in resignation and ran her hands over her face, trying to hold back the tears that were burning her eyes.

"Fine… but please hurry. And call when you find him… I'll lose my mind sitting here wondering," she said.

"Of course. Try not to worry so much. All that stress isn't good for you," Ciel said, as he and Charles turned and quickly headed out the door, which Mey-Rin had opened again.

"Mistress, are you alright?" she asked, closing the door.

"I… I don't know…" Violet answered. She felt completely lifeless, but at the same time, felt like she wanted to explode and scream until her lungs gave out. Her vision started getting shaky, and her legs felt like rubber.

 _I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him…_ she thought, only faintly hearing Mey-Rin speaking to her before everything went black, and she fell to the ground.

* * *

Violet opened her eyes and realized she was in bed again, a cold cloth on her forehead. She sat up, but someone gently pushed her back down.

"Please don't get up," Mey-Rin said, sitting beside her. "The doctor will be here soon to check you over."

 _Oh great, what the hell happened?_ She thought, deciding not to protest and laying back down. _I guess I better get checked out…_

A short time later, a doctor entered the room, led by Finny. He did several tests, along with the standard procedures. After what seemed like hours, he finally packed everything up.

"What exactly has your diet consisted of, lately?" he asked, looking confused.

"Ehh… well… a bit of bottled soul… and that's about it," she said, sitting up. She knew she had to start eating human food again as well, as she'd read about it in the book earlier. But she didn't know much about cooking, and she also wasn't sure if she could trust Bard not to blow up the house while Sebastian was away. Suddenly, she felt a pain in her heart at that thought of Sebastian.

"You need to start eating regular food, in addition to that," the doctor said in surprise. "Many demons fail to follow that, and it doesn't end well for them or their offspring."

Violet nodded, making a mental note to check the kitchen's food inventory and possibly ask Mey-Rin to accompany her to the grocery store.

"Other than that, everything seems fine. But for today, I'd like you to stay in bed. Also, get some actual food in your stomach. You should feel better by tomorrow morning. If not, please call me right away."

"Okay," Violet replied, feeling a bit out of it. "Thank you."

The doctor nodded and followed Mey-Rin out of the room. Finny cautiously peeked back in through the door.

"Miss Violet, is there anything we can get for you?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, but thanks." Violet said, feeling sadness start washing over her as she thought more about Sebastian.

"Is everything okay?" Finny asked, slipping through the door and closing it behind him.

"Yeh, I just can't stop worrying," she replied. Noticing he was just standing there nervously, she gestured to the chair that was next to the bed.

"Ohh…" he said, making his way to the chair and sitting. "I'm sure Sebastian is okay. I don't know anyone stronger than he is."

"True… but… he hasn't been himself lately. And last night…" she lowered her voice. "I noticed something on the back of his neck. He acted like there wasn't anything there, but I know there was… I think he's been seeded by something that's trying to take over him."

Finny gasped. "Do you think it has something to do with St. Francis?"

Violet shrugged. "Most likely. They failed to keep me under their control, so it would make sense that they would attempt to infiltrate my mate, next. I just wonder how and when it happened."

"Did you tell young master about it?"

"No, but I think they are already aware of it, by the way they reacted when I told them he wasn't home. They know something. I just wish they would have told me."

"They probably don't want you to worry so much," Finny answered, looking thoughtful. "If young master already figured it out, I'm positive that they'll find him."

"I hope so…" Violet said. She felt a little better after talking to Finny. After all, he knew a lot more about Ciel and Sebastian's capabilities than she did, so far.

Just then, Mey-Rin entered the room. "Finny, you better get started on your chores, yes you should. We need to let Miss Violet rest," she said.

Violet nodded to Finny with a small smile, knowing he would feel bad leaving her alone, otherwise. After he left the room, Violet laid back down, and Mey-Rin came over and pulled the blankets up over her and placed another cool cloth on her forehead.

"Call me if you need anything, yes," she said quietly. "I'll bring some soup up in a while." With that, she dimmed the lights and left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Violet had eaten her soup that Mey-Rin brought to her for lunch, and ate her pasta that was brought to her for dinner. She still felt a little shaky, but slightly better. Now, she was slowly wandering around the room, poking at random stuff and flipping through random, dusty books. She found a deck of cards on a bookshelf, and sprayed them all over the floor in front of her.

 _I'm SO bored right now!_

Along with the worry she felt, she now had to deal with the boredom that was accompanying it. As she sat upside down in an overstuffed armchair, she had a thought.

 _Hmm… I wonder if I can locate any demon, not just my own mate._

Without hesitation, she sat up and focused, deciding to try to locate Ciel.

 _It probably won't work… even if it_ is _possible, he's probably got his energy so guarded-_

Her eyes shot open when she realized she had picked up on his location. It was one that she didn't recognize, but that didn't matter. She then focused on Charles, and picked up that his location was the same as Ciel's.

 _I wonder if that's where the trouble is…_

After a brief inner battle with her conscience, Violet quickly got some different clothes on, laced her boots up, and went to the door that led out to their balcony.

 _I can't sit here anymore. I need to go try to find Sebastian._

Being extra careful not to make a sound, she opened the door and slipped out. Once she'd carefully scaled her way down one of the balcony columns, she slipped off into the falling darkness of night.


	28. Into The Darkness

*** AHHH hey all! I just got home, literally 20 minutes ago! My first priority is to get this chapter posted lol. I am sooo sorry it happened like that. But tomorrow, I am going to do just as I said and upload EVERYTHING to the document manager. Hope you like it :) ***

Once she was out of sight of their home, Violet took a more casual pace as she headed towards the central headquarters building. Once she was in the foyer where the bay of elevators was, she gave a friendly nod to a security guard behind the desk and continued on towards the elevator that would bring her up to the odd pub in the surface world.

"Stop right there," the guard said, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. "I've been given strict orders not to let you pass through."

Violet cursed under her breath and turned to face the guard, plastering a charming smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," she said in a sweet tone.

The guard laughed. "Violet Michaelis. You really _don't_ know how well-known you are down here, do ya?"

"Eh… I uh…" she stammered.

"Lord Ciel and Earl Charles have already been through here, and warned me that you might try to follow them. I am to prevent you from doing so, and tell you to go back home and let them handle it."

 _Son of a bitch. They_ would _do that…_

"Listen, uh…" Violet paused to squint at the guy's name tag. "Gary. My husband has disappeared, and I can't just sit around waiting for them to find him. It would be really awesome if you would-"

"No can do, Mrs. Michaelis. I can't allow it. I'm not really up to facing the wrath of Phantomhive."

Violet sighed and tried to keep her anger from boiling over. She stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. "But maybe you happened to look away for a few seconds, and… oh, uh-" she cut off, noticing a swirl of purple and black light emitting from the hand she had placed on Gary's shoulder. "What…?"

She looked up at his face and noticed his eyes wide, expression frozen. She quickly took her hand away, causing him to fall backwards.

"Uh… Gary? Hey…" she leaned over and waved her hand in front of his eyes. Nothing. "I'm sorry… I'm not really sure what that was about…"

Violet then realized that she should make a break for it, seeing as she didn't know how long he would be down.

"I'm sure you'll be fine… I'm just gonna… go now…"

With that, she took off towards the elevators, hurriedly pushing the buttons. As the lift got closer and closer to the floor, Gary let out a muffled groan.

"Come on… come on!" Violet said impatiently, looking back and forth between the elevator and the guard still laying on the floor.

Finally, the doors opened, and just as she got inside, Gary sat up, rubbing his head. Violet smashed the buttons repeatedly to close the doors. He shakily stood and started towards her.

"Hey… what are you-"

That's all she heard as the doors finally closed, and the lift started moving upward. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned against the wall.

* * *

Sebastian opened his eyes and checked out his surroundings. Stone walls and pillars, torches lining the room. There was a set of stained glass doors straight ahead of him, and a massive wooden cross behind him.

"Hmm… it seems I've been here before," he mumbled, trying to get up. However, he was chained to some kind of altar table. "Really now, chains? How simple." But when he tried to break free, nothing happened.

"Do you think I would use regular chains to restrain someone like _you_?"

Sebastian directed his attention to the male voice. A man stood in front of the doors, looking smug.

"Ah, it somehow doesn't surprise me to see you here," Sebastian said with a smirk of his own.

"I've had such fun observing life through your eyes for some time now… even had the joy of taking _control_ of you, at times," the man said, coming closer.

"Is that how it was? I'm impressed that you managed to pull that off."

"Yes, so am I. You've caused a great deal of trouble for me over the years. First, you snag Ciel's soul right out from under us _again_ , then you lay your filthy claim on the woman that should have married _me_. I should have convinced Leon to go forward with severing the contract when they tried to get rid of you. But he and Carol had to clear their conscience after Violet's little suicide attempt. That _really_ messed up the plan…"

"So why didn't you?" Sebastian asked in his calm manner.

"Could you honestly say that you'd have walked away from it, if they had?" the man asked.

"Now that you mention it, no. Even if the contract _had_ been severed, Violet would still have been mine. Nothing could have changed that. I'd have killed him and gotten away with it, if he tried to stop me from taking her. It was a foolish move for him to try to send me away. Demon or not, he would have been in violation." Sebastian narrowed his eyes as they flashed. "And… even if the marriage had gone through, it would only be a matter of time before I took her from you… _Ian_. You'll never have her, for whatever reason it is that you've been after her, or otherwise. I'll destroy you."

Ian stormed forward into the light, face red with anger. "That's big talk for someone who's in your position, right now! You may be a demon, but there's no way you can ever beat me!"

Sebastian chuckled darkly. "We shall see."

* * *

"What on earth? This can't be the right place!" Ciel said, exasperation clear in his voice.

"This is it, master. I agree, it seems odd, but…" Charles trailed off.

They both stood in the middle of a busy city sidewalk, people milling about around them, staring at a high-rise building. It appeared to be a typical office building, in casual passing.

"This has to be a joke… there's no way that some kind of underworld crime is going on here…" Ciel scoffed again, looking around at the other surrounding buildings.

"I wouldn't think so either, but the direction I'm picking up on is in this building and down several levels into a basement."

With a sigh, Ciel nodded as Charles led the way through a revolving door.

Oddly, as they made their way towards a bunch of elevators, no one at the security desk even bothered to ask them what their business was there.

"Security seems reliable," Ciel muttered sarcastically to Charles, observing their inattentive behavior.

"I get the feeling that everyone in this building is under some kind of charm that keeps them from poking around in the supernatural activities going on right underneath them," Charles said.

An elevator opened, and after a group of businessmen exited, the two of them went in and pressed the button for the basement.

* * *

Violet exited the dreary pub and stood in the alley for a moment, locking on to the location of Charles again.

"That's pretty far," she mumbled to herself.

Right as she was about to go flag a taxi down, a thought occurred to her.

 _Wait… can't demons fly? Or run fast? Or something like that…?_

She realized she hadn't really used her abilities much since transforming, besides a little bit on that mission.

 _I guess now is as good a time as any to see what else I can do._

Glancing up to the buildings towering above her, Violet focused all her energy into her legs and pushed off the ground, which caused her to fly up and land rather ungracefully on the roof of the building she had just come out of. The impact caused several cracks to spider out around her in the concrete.

"Shit…" she mumbled, steadying herself on the edge and looking out at all the rooftops that lay ahead. "Well… here we go…"

With that, she took off, leaping from one rooftop to the next with lightning speed.

* * *

"You're about to pay for interfering," Ian muttered, polishing a silver dagger as he stood next to the altar Sebastian was chained to.

"Really, are you going to kill me? With a silver dagger? You don't know what you're doing, do you?" Sebastian asked, sounding amused.

"Don't worry, this isn't just _any_ ol' dagger. It happens to be one of the rare few things that can actually kill a demon, without having to officially register it as a death scythe."

"How remarkable! How did someone like you ever get a hold of such a thing?" he replied, feigning surprise.

"It's not mine. It belongs to someone I daresay you're familiar with…" The door creaked open, and a small figure entered. "And it looks like she's here, now!"

"Ian… I don't know why you called me here… I told you I didn't want to be a part of this anymore," a voice squeaked from the shadows.

Ian growled and turned towards it.

"And I told you that you can't back out now! I've already paid you, so get in here and do your job!"

Suddenly, a large handful of gold coins were tossed onto the floor in front of him, jingling loudly.

"Take your money. I don't want it. Now, hand over that dagger."

* * *

"This way."

Charles led the way down yet another long corridor. They were now on the 6th basement level.

"This is asinine!" Ciel exclaimed, getting red in the face with anger.

"Calm down, my lord. It's through those doors." He pointed down to the end of the hall at a large set of double, stained glass doors.

Ciel nodded and pulled a pistol out of the holster on his side, causing Charles to give him an odd look.

"What? It's perfectly effective against supernatural beings," he said defensively.

"Of course it is, my lord."

They were now outside the doors, one on either side, ready to bust through.

"Let's finish this quickly, then. I've got tea at 8 with a Funtom representative."

Charles counted down from three with his fingers, and they both kicked through the doors, causing the glass and wood to shatter in their wake.

* * *

Violet stood in front of the same building Charles and Ciel had been standing in front of, thinking the exact same thing they had.

"What kind of joke is this?" she mumbled to herself, double-checking that she had tracked the right location.

With a shrug, she hurried in, and casually passed the guards at the desk, who basically completely ignored her.

 _Well, that was easy._

After reaching the elevators and finding an empty one, she pushed the button for the basement level.

 _ **Don't worry, my love, I'm coming to save you,**_ she thought openly to Sebastian, in case he could hear it.

Right before the elevator reached the basement level, the lights went out, and it stopped.

"What the…" she trailed off, as she lost consciousness.


	29. A Demon's Death

*** So, this chapter was a little depressing to write, but... it had to be done in order for the story to progress properly. ***

"Hand over the dagger, Bradford."

Ian laughed and kicked the scattered coins.

"And what exactly do you intend to do if I don't?" he asked menacingly, walking slowly towards the small figure.

Sebastian watched as the shadow emerged into the light, revealing Lizzy, who was wearing a black robe with a hood over her head. She tugged it down, then ripped the robe off, revealing one of her favorite frilly dresses. She held two sharp claw-like blades in each hand as she glared at Ian.

"You lured me into making that deal with you under false pretenses. Once I found out about who the targets were, I told you I was no longer interested. But you still called me here. Now, I am going to make sure you pay dearly for wasting my time, and threatening my family."

Just then, Ciel and Charles crashed through the doors, ready to fight.

"Lizzy?! What the devil are you doing here? Did someone die?" Ciel asked, looking around the room as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Stay back. I'll handle this," Lizzy replied, not taking her eyes off Ian.

That's when Ciel noticed Sebastian.

"Sebastian, what are you doing just lying there? Get up and help us!"

"I'd love to, my lord, but I'm a bit tied up, at the moment," Sebastian said in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Ciel, I want you to leave. It's too dangerous for you to be here," Lizzy said again.

"Charles, get him out of there," Ciel said, nodding to Sebastian. Then he turned to Lizzy. "I'm not leaving you here to-"

"Damn it, Ciel, do as I say!" Lizzy shouted, turning to him briefly.

Charles had started towards Sebastian, but Ian suddenly grabbed Lizzy while she was looking away and held the dagger to her throat, causing her to drop her weapons.

"Don't move! Get back over there!" he yelled at Charles, who took his place back next to Ciel. "Try anything, and this little lady gets it!"

Sebastian sighed from the altar. "How typical."

"You two, get on your knees and put your hands up on your head!" Ian said, dragging Lizzy with him to the altar. "And you, butler, make your last few moments of existence count!"

Two other hooded figures appeared from the doorway and took hold of Ciel and Charles, chaining them to pillars. Then they came forward and took Elizabeth off to the side.

"You'll stand in my way no more!" Ian shouted, raising the dagger up in the air above Sebastian. A red glow formed around the blade. "Any last words?"

Sebastian smirked. "I'd hate to be you."

With that, Ian plunged the blade into Sebastian's chest. The red glow blew up and filled the whole room.

"Sebastian!" a horrified Ciel shouted from his captive pillar.

* * *

Violet regained consciousness and realized her hands were chained behind her back. There was also a scarf tied around her mouth, gagging her. She looked up just as someone entered the small stone-walled room. They wore a black hooded robe, so she couldn't see the face.

"I see you're finally awake."

 _A female voice… that's the same voice I heard in that basement! It sounds so familiar…_

Violet tried to say something, but it just came out a muffled jumble.

"What was that?" the woman asked, chuckling. Violet was instantly irritated by her tone of voice.

The woman roughly yanked the scarf out of her mouth and tossed it aside.

"What the hell is going on?" Violet asked. "I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"Don't worry, this is closely related to that mission of yours," she replied. With a quick movement, she pulled the hood down off her head, revealing her identity.

 _Son of a bitch! I knew it! I hoped I was wrong though…_

"What the fuck, Abby?" Violet exclaimed, eyes wide. "You're one of…"

"You've always used such foul language, and I must admit, that is one thing about you that I never cared for," Abby stated. "Yes, but I'm not just _one_ of them… I am _the_ one. All the others you've dealt with so far were under my orders."

"But why? How? How long?!"

"So many questions. One at a time, please," she said arrogantly, waving her hand.

"How long have you been a part of this?!" Violet demanded, feeling her blood boiling.

"I've been involved with it since the beginning. I was created to befriend you and keep tabs on you until the time was right."

"Created? So you're not… human?" Violet asked.

"Of course I'm not! Do you think a pathetic human could manage all of this? I was created by none other than Bradford Labs, after your parents were done away with. When you were sent to your aunt and uncle's, it was anticipated that they would get rid of that pesky butler of yours, due to your aunt's distaste for demons," Abby explained. "But when that didn't happen, I was used as the backup plan. It was going pretty well until you went and tried to kill yourself. After Carol and Leon broke down and let him come back, everything went to hell! No pun intended…"

Violet growled and rolled her eyes. "The Bradfords… are you saying that they had a part in my parents' murder?"

"It was _all_ them, duh. Your parents wouldn't have even dreamed of trying to get you to marry Ian, since they knew about your little connection with that demon. The Bradfords knew Carol and Leon were the ones who would take you and Charles, if anything happened to your parents. They figured it would be their chance to get Sebastian away from you so their plan could be carried out."

"What is this fucking _plan_ you keep mentioning?" Violet asked, getting angrier by the moment.

"I'm surprised you don't know. You've got a certain trait in your bloodline that simply can't be carried forth anymore. The whole war between the Phantomhives and the various other rings of hell… it's always been about that. It is a most undesirable trait to have, as a soon-to-be ruler of Hell. It will make the underworld entirely undefeatable, and we at St. Francis simply can't have that… the first plan was to have you marry Ian so that trait could be spawned into the new bloodline, but that obviously failed, so... here we are."

"You're shitting me! These rings are made up of agents from St. Francis, aren't they!?"

"Yes, that's right. Now, are we done here? Because I need to knock you out again to transport you to the lab," Abby said, examining her nails.

"What, not gonna try to kill me?" Violet asked, making her smartass tone obvious.

"Oh no, not yet. First we need to do a bunch of experiments and try to capture this trait of yours. Since it can't be carried forward naturally, we have to synthesize the DNA to use for future generations of St. Francis."

Violet snorted in amusement. "Right… well, I'd _love_ to be a part of that, but I need to get back to what I was doing-"

"You mean trying to save your husband? I wouldn't worry about that anymore… in fact, Ian should be taking care of that right about now." Abby smirked darkly while her eyes flashed from their usual brown to a bright silver.

Violet gasped and tried to break the chains. "I swear you'll regret it if anything happens to him!" she shouted.

"I doubt that-"

Suddenly, a bright red glow emitted from Violet's chest. She felt like she was going to explode. Rage filled her unlike ever before. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly, trying to hold back an odd, indescribable feeling boiling inside her. But it was too powerful. She also noticed something else… a red fog swirled around inside the gem of her ring.

 _What the hell?  
_

"What the-" Abby stammered, stumbling backwards as the ground began shaking.

A bunch of images flashed before Violet's eyes. Sebastian was laying on an altar table. Lizzy was there. Ciel and Charles… and Ian! He had a dagger in his hand… Lizzy had tried to get it back, but couldn't… then he… he stabbed it through Sebastian's chest! A red glowing light…!

 _No... it can't be too late..._

A high-pitched, angry growl escaped Violet's throat as the chains that had been restraining her hands broke. She heaved forward and dug her nails into the stone floor, as huge black wings burst from her back. Horns sprouted from her head in sharp, long points, and her teeth and nails had become razor sharp. Black and purple fog circled her as she stood, eyes glowing.

"No… NO! This was not supposed to happen!" Abby screeched, backing away more as Violet moved towards her. "You are not supposed to be able to shift yet!"

"I will destroy you," Violet hissed, shooting forward.

Just as her claws were about to make contact with her target, Abby vanished, leaving nothing but a cloud of white feathers. Violet snarled angrily and smashed a nearby pillar, then took off out of the room, locking onto Ciel's location.

* * *

Ciel looked on, horrified, and Lizzy covered her face, apparently crying.

"Victory is mine!" Ian shouted, yanking the dagger back out of Sebastian's chest.

The glow had disappeared now, and Sebastian lay there motionless.

"We need to get out of here NOW!" a female voice rang out.

"What do ya mean? I just killed the demon. You got the girl. We won!" Ian replied, looking around the room in confusion.

"FORGET THAT RIGHT NOW! LET'S _GO_!"

"But-" he started, but he vanished into a cloud of feathers, the dagger clattering to the ground.

Ciel struggled with the chains he was restrained with, but it was useless.

"Charles, what do we do?!" he cried, frantically looking around the room.

"Calm down, master… we wait." Charles said calmly.

"Wait…? For wh-"

Just then, Violet stormed into the room.

"Violet!" Ciel exclaimed, eyes wide at her new form. Charles showed no sign of surprise.

She went over and freed Ciel and Charles first, then snapped the necks of the two who were keeping Lizzy. Then she turned and saw Sebastian's lifeless body on the altar.

"Sebastian… no…" Violet stumbled to his side and looked him over. "You're not dead… wake up!" she growled, shaking him. "Wake up!"

Ciel appeared at her side. "Sebastian, I order you to wake up! I know you aren't dead!" He looked over at Violet. "He's done this before, you know… Sebastian! You can get up now!"

In spite of his words, his voice cracked. Violet felt her own emotions raging like a hurricane as her eyes began to sting.

"You can't… you can't! I didn't give you permission to leave me!" she cried, turning her back on the scene and sliding to the floor. She buried her head in her hands as she sobbed.

Ciel sat next to her in a daze. He picked up the dagger that was on the floor nearby and looked at it closely.

"Lizzy… what exactly is this?" he asked.

Elizabeth wiped her face with the back of her hand and came forward. "It's embedded with the most powerful energy in existence that is used to destroy demons… an ancient tool used by the reapers back before death scythes."

"Is there any way that one could survive an attack from it?"

Lizzy shook her head sadly, covering her mouth as several more tears slid down her cheeks. "There hasn't been one yet."

Ciel dropped his hands to his sides. "This… this is unbelievable… it can't be!"

Charles cleared his throat and walked towards them. "Master, Lizzy, could you two give us a moment?"

Ciel just nodded and stood up, leading Lizzy out the door and down the hall. Violet looked up at Charles, her face soaked with tears.

"Violet… you know you can bring him back, right?"

Violet shook her head slowly. "You heard Lizzy… there's no way any demon can live through being attacked with that…"

"Well, yeh, if they don't have a Phantomhive as their mate, they can't."

"What do you mean?" she asked, not allowing herself to get excited.

"This trait that St. Francis has been after for centuries-"

"Wait, you knew about this all along?!" Violet asked. If he knew, then why didn't he tell her about Ian and Abby and her other alleged 'friends'?

"I knew _about_ it, but I didn't know _who_ was involved," Charles said. "No more than you did, anyway."

 _That's a relief… I don't think I can handle finding out that my brother betrayed us, too, at this point…_

"Oh… so, what is it?"

Charles gestured to the ring on her left ring finger, which still had the red fog swirling around in the stone.

"The rings of the Phantomhive family… they're all custom made by a jeweler to make this trait easier to use. They capture the energy of one's mate if it leaves their body. That red fog in the stone there… it's Sebastian's energy. You can restore it to his body," Charles explained.

Violet stood quickly. "How do I do that?"

"Well, much as he did when he transformed you, you'll have to bite a specific spot on his neck. Then you'll focus to transfer it back to him."

Violet turned towards Sebastian's pale figure. _Is this really gonna work?_

"I'll leave you to it," Charles said. He turned and started to leave the room to find Ciel and Lizzy.

"Wait, how do I-" she started, but Charles had already vanished.

She stood slowly and turned to Sebastian, studying the ring on her finger.

 _Why does everyone wait until the last minute to tell me shit like this?_


	30. Resurrection

*** I'm sorry for the delay. I found some inconsistencies in the following chapters, so I've been having to re-write a lot. This one was a lot different, but I kind of ended up condensing it with the next chapter, because I had to delete so much. I hope it doesn't suck :( ***

Violet stood next to Sebastian, confusion clouding her mind. Rage was still brewing in her chest, so she grabbed the chains that had been restraining him and broke them open with little effort.

 _I know what to do, but… at the same time, I don't._

She examined the red fog swirling about in her ring and sighed.

 _Well, I better do something… I can't stand seeing Sebastian like this anymore…_

She climbed up and straddled him, placing her left hand on his cheek.

 _I hope no one walks in… this probably looks bad. The last thing I need is for someone to think I'm a necropheliac…_

Without hesitation, she leaned down and sank her sharp fangs into his neck, then focused intently on restoring his energy into his body, as Charles had said. The candles on the walls suddenly became brighter than before, and the entire room seemed to swirl with a dark aura.

 _I must be doing it right…_ she thought, noting the flow of energy she felt passing from the ring to where her mouth was placed. After several more minutes, it subsided, so she sat back up and looked Sebastian over. His color was getting better, and the stab wound in his chest had healed up, leaving nothing but a tear in his shirt where the dagger had gone through.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open, and his hands grasped her sides.

"So, you managed to figure it out…" he smirked.

"Wh… what? Of course…" Violet said, slightly startled by his sudden revival. She moved off of him and put her feet back on the floor.

"What took you so long?" he asked lightly, sitting up and rubbing his neck.

"I didn't really know I could do that until Charles told me," she replied, fixing his tie. "I take it you did, though?"

"Of course. If I didn't know such an important detail about the family I have been serving for years, what kind of butler would I be?" he asked, taking her hands in his and kissing her knuckles.

 _Yeh, he's back, alright,_ Violet thought, amused, as she leaned in and kissed him thankfully.

"Now, on another note," he said, letting go of her hands, standing, and slipping one of his own behind her neck. Without warning, he pulled her against him roughly. "What the hell were you thinking, coming here? Were you not ordered to stay home and let Charles and young master handle this?"

Violet was taken aback at this sudden change. But, she couldn't blame him for being angry… she _had_ snuck out and gone against orders.

"I… I'm sorry, but…" she trailed off. Then she growled angrily. "You know what? No, I'm _not_ sorry! If I hadn't have snuck out here, what would have happened? You'd be dead right now, and I wouldn't have been here to revive you! How would you know, anyway? You weren't even there."

"You risked your life, and our child's life, by doing so. Young master would have brought you here eventually, after the threat of danger was eliminated," he said sternly. "And I happen to know, because _I'm_ the one who made the arrangements! I knew something wasn't right, so I carefully set up a plan when I knew I wasn't being controlled!"

"There's no one here, though! They left! I already dealt with them."

"You just scared them off. They'll be back. That doesn't change the fact that you were reckless and-"

"So you think it's fair to just keep me locked up in our room, panicking and worrying about you, while you are out here DYING!?" Violet growled.

"That's not what I meant. I just didn't want you to… and you were- wait a moment… when did you learn how to shift into your true form?" Sebastian asked, suddenly seeming as though he had just noticed the difference in her appearance. His eyes were wide as he studied her.

"I don't know. It happened earlier when Abby had me chained up in the other room… I don't know how, I just got this feeling of anger like I'd never had before. Then the red light… and…" Violet thought for a minute. "It must have happened when Ian stabbed you. That's when the red fog appeared in my ring…"

"Hmm… interesting," Sebastian said, circling around her while examining her various new 'features'. He seemed to have forgotten how upset he just was.

"What is?" she asked, feeling unusually nervous.

"Oh, it's just that I never expected you to be able to shift this soon. Even for a half-demon," he said, running his hands along her wings, which sent shivers down her spine.

"Sebastian-"

Violet blushed as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. His lips brushed against her neck, making her knees feel weak. A seductive growl escaped him as he nibbled on the soft skin just above her shoulder.

"Se-Sebastian… everyone is still here," Violet said quietly, her voice shaking as she turned and looked towards the door, which was still closed.

"Hm? Surely they can wait a few more minutes, yes?" he replied in his low, sexy voice. His hands had now found their way under her shirt, fingers teasing the sensitive peaks of her breasts.

 _Dammit, he knows exactly what to do…_

She replied with a small moan, which was all Sebastian needed. He backed her up to the altar and lifted her up onto it, undoing his pants at the same time.

"Just so you know, this doesn't mean you're off the hook about sneaking out," he said, moving her panties to the side and slowly pushing himself into her dripping entrance.

"I'll take any punishment you see fit, just please don't go easy on me right now," she replied, biting her lip as she laid back and wrapped her legs around him, her wings splayed out behind her. After seeing him dead and lifeless, this is exactly what she needed.

"Yes, my mistress," he smirked, taking hold of her hips.

* * *

Charles, Ciel, and Lizzy say on a bench near the elevators, waiting. Suddenly, a door creaked open a ways down.

"That took a while, did you have any trouble?" Charles asked, as Violet and Sebastian made their way down the long hallway towards them.

"Uhh, no. Sebastian kind of gave me a stern talking-to about sneaking out, after I brought him back," Violet answered, feeling her face grow hot. Sebastian just smirked pervertedly.

"Sebastian? How the devil…" Ciel's eyes were wide, but they quickly went back to normal. "Oh right, the trait thing… how could I forget about that…?"

Violet shrugged casually, trying to get rid of the blush on her cheeks. "Oh well… anyway, what do we do now?"

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "We don't have a lead on where they went. And who knows when they'll be back here. I say we call it a night and go home."

"Isn't this the part of the story where we finally find them and end it for good? I feel like this is taking way longer than it should," Violet replied, examining some lint on her shirt.

"Well, unfortunately, this isn't some _mango_ or _fanatic fiction_ or whatever that is that you kids are up to these days… it's not that easy."

Violet chuckled at his words. "It's _manga_ , not mango. And usually, fanatic fiction is just called fanfic. If you truly want to fit in with the young crowd, as you look like you should, you need to know these things."

Ciel scoffed as everyone began heading towards the elevators. "I have no time _or_ need to learn such things. It's not as though I socialize with that age group." Then he turned back to Violet. "You may want to shift back to your regular form before we head out to the streets again."

* * *

After dropping Lizzy off at the reaper HQ, arriving back home in the underworld didn't go without fanfare. The four servants had been anxiously scrambling around the castle looking for Violet and trying to decide whether to tell Ciel that she had disappeared.

"I was soooo scared to tell him, yes! Young master is terrifying when he's angry!" Mey-Rin exclaimed, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"I told them you probably snuck out to try to find Sebastian. Phantomhives don't sit around and wait," Bard said casually, his usual cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, as he stood next to Mey-Rin.

"We were so worried!" Finny said, joining the line, eyes shining with tears.

"Hoh hoh hoh," chortled Tanaka from an armchair in the parlor.

"Of course," Sebastian said calmly as he approached the three. After a moment of silence, he knocked them each over the head a couple times. "When I am away, your orders are to protect and defend the house, _and those who reside in it_. Your negligence could have gotten your mistress killed, or worse!"

The three of them shook off the assault and fell to their knees. "We're sorry!" they cried in unison. They proceeded to fire off several apologies and regrets, talking over one another.

"Silence!" Sebastian roared. After everyone quieted down, he went on in his usual tone. "Fortunately, that was not the case, or your punishments would be a great deal more severe."

Violet went to Sebastian's side. "It's really not their fault… I was the one who snuck out." Then she turned to the servants. "I'm sorry I did that. But I was losing my mind worrying. I couldn't stand the thought of something horrible happening to my husband."

Sebastian pulled her into him and kissed her forehead. "From now on… I don't want you doing such things, no matter what the situation. Your first priority needs to be our child. I won't have you putting yourself in danger for me. I'm supposed to be the one doing that for you."

"You know how we demons are, dear… you know it isn't easy to control the instinct to protect what's ours," Violet justified.

Sebastian clearly couldn't come up with a counter-argument to this, so he just closed his eyes and smirked.

Violet had forgotten Charles and Ciel were there, until Ciel spoke up. "Well, this has been a touching scene. But I think it's about time for Charles and I to go back to headquarters. I left some interns in charge of important paperwork, and their competency is still questionable…" As he turned towards the door, he spared a glance back at the servants and sighed. "It's a curse… an eternal curse…" he mumbled, shaking his head.

* * *

Several weeks went by with no problems. Violet had gone back to planning their wedding, with the help of Mey-Rin, while Sebastian had been assisting Ciel at headquarters, due to his freshly-fired interns.

"I don't think we'll have time to do this before the baby comes," Violet said, setting down a notebook filled with dress ideas, and leaning back in her chair, revealing a rather prominent belly bulge. "It seems like I didn't gain any weight at first, then overnight, boom. I don't want to get a dress that might not fit by wedding day."

"I think it would be super cute if you waited, so your baby could be in the wedding, too!" Mey-Rin exclaimed, her face going red with excitement.

Violet giggled. "Yeh, I suppose. Besides, I don't know what things are like on the surface world, yet… whether that whole controversy has died down that St. Francis started. I don't really give a shit what they say or think, but I don't want to add fuel to the fire by showing up with a baby bump."

"Haven't you talked to Carol at all, lately?" Mey-Rin asked, getting up and putting away all the stuff on the table for the night.

"Yeh, but she doesn't know much more. They're still staying at that secluded manor in the mountains. She said Leon hasn't been as uptight and stressed, since they've been there. Sounds like it's doing wonders for both of them, being away from it all. They're thinking about staying there permanently."

"That's not a bad idea," Mey-Rin agreed.

Violet heaved herself out of her chair and cringed. "I am not a fan of this back and leg pain. I didn't think demons were supposed to feel pain…"

"Would you like me to run a hot bath for you?"

"Sure… that'd be great."

Not even 10 minutes later, Violet was relaxing in a hot, bubble filled bath. The pain in her back and legs had melted away within seconds. As she lay there with her eyes closed, she heard the front door open downstairs, immediately sensing that Sebastian was home.

 _It's about time._

"My love…" Sebastian said from the other side of the door before entering the bathroom.

"Hmm?" she replied, finally fully relaxed. "How was headquarters today?"

"I… think… I saw someone today."

"Oh? Who?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed as she enjoyed the warm water around her.

"Your parents… I don't think they died."


	31. Plus One

*** OKAY here's one of the major events happening! Actually, a couple... plenty more to come in following chapters! :D ***

Violet's eyes shot open, and she sat up, finally looking at Sebastian.

"What?!"

"I saw your parents," Sebastian repeated. "And they definitely weren't dead."

Violet was quiet for a minute before splashing some water on her face and shaking her head in disbelief.

"There must be some mistake, because-"

"I thought so, as well. But it was them."

"What... what were they doing? Where? _How?_ "

Sebastian hesitated for a moment. "They were meeting with master Ciel and Charles... I went into Ciel's office, and when your parents saw me, they looked as though they'd been found out..."

"They _were_ found out! Ciel and Charles knew? What the hell!" Violet got out of the bath and wrapped up in a towel before storming into the closet to find clothes.

"My love, please calm down, it- what are you doing? Surely, you aren't going anywhere at this hour-"

Violet stormed back out from the closet, now fully dressed, and stopped in front of Sebastian. "You bet your _ass_ I'm going somewhere at this hour! I just found out that my parents, whom I presumed to be _dead_ for the last fifteen years, are _alive_ , and my brother and grandfather were fully aware of such!"

"They may have not known either, maybe they just found out-"

"Did _you_ know, too? Have you all been hiding it from me this whole time?!" Violet growled, feeling rage building up in her chest as she inched closer to Sebastian.

"I promise, I had no idea. I'm just as shocked as you are-" he tried to reason calmly.

"You've kept plenty from me in the past, why should I believe you didn't know about this _now_ , too?!" she spat, eyes flashing. "Hng..." Violet felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Leaning on the counter with one hand, she pointed accusingly at Sebastian with the other. "Furthermore, you- hng!"

She put her other hand to her stomach as another sharp pain ran through it. Sebastian's eyes widened.

"Darling, are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked, taking hold of her and guiding her to their bed. "Are you having contractions?"

Violet gritted her teeth through another pain. "No, it can't be... it's too soon... hng... I feel like I'm on fire, though..."

Sebastian felt her arms and forehead. "You're burning up... we need to get you to the hospital right now. The baby is on the way." He then left the room and told Mey-Rin to have the driver bring the car around and call to alert Ciel and Charles.

"But it's too early, it can't be!" she said again, nonetheless allowing Sebastian to pick her up and carry her down the stairs and out to the now-waiting SUV.

 _Why didn't I just read the rest of that pregnancy book?_ Violet thought to herself angrily.

* * *

"Right. Understood. Thank you." Ciel hung up the phone and turned his attention back to the couple sitting in front of him. "As I was saying, Violet is probably going to find out, if she hasn't already. Normally, I would insist on visiting her at their home, but I've just been informed that Sebastian is bringing her to the hospital, as we speak, so that is not an option."

"The hospital? Has something happened?" Charles asked from Ciel's side.

"No. It seems she has gone into labor," Ciel said casually, followed by gasps from the couple. "So, it looks like we're going to the hospital. Charles, please have the driver bring the car around."

Charles got on his cell phone and did as he was asked.

"Ciel, I don't think that's a good idea-" Matthew started to protest.

"Silence!" Ciel shouted, slamming his hands down on his desk. "I've kept your secret all these years, and it makes me sick to my stomach! You thought you did it to protect her, when all you've done was cause nothing but pain and confusion! Do you know what I would give to find out that _my_ parents are still alive? And if she already knows, don't you think that adds insult to injury if you won't even _see_ her?!"

"I just don't think it's good timing, if she's about to-"

"Enough," said Charles as he hung up his phone. "Master Ciel is right. I've had to keep your secret from my sister, as well. The anger I felt, seeing her so distraught and scarred, and thinking how unfair it was that I knew the truth and couldn't say anything."

"And we are _so_ thankful that you did such a thing, it can't have been easy! We are indebted to you for that, but-" Miranda started.

"Yes, and you're going to pay that debt tonight by explaining everything to Violet." Charles said.

* * *

"Son of a-!" Violet growled, trying to keep herself from spitting a string of profanity. She was laying in the hospital bed, Sebastian standing by her side. "Can I please have something for the pain!?"

"I'm sorry, darling, the doctor said it's too late," Sebastian said apologetically. "It would have no effect."

"Too late!? What the f- it's only been an hour!" Violet gripped Sebastian's hand and cursed under her breath several times. "A human woman can be in labor for 20 hours and get painkillers, but a demon is in labor for an hour and it's _too late_!?"

"You didn't finish reading the book, did you?" Sebastian asked.

"NO, I DIDN'T FINISH READING THE FUCKING BOOK!" Violet yelled, followed by another string of profanities.

Sebastian smiled. "You can yell at me all you want, if it makes you feel better. After all, it is partially my fault you're in this pain."

Violet took several deep breaths and relaxed, as the pain subsided, for the moment.

"I'm sorry… I feel like I'm being burned alive, and that I'm being stabbed in the stomach with a million knives," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"I understand, my love," he replied, kissing the top of her hand.

"I can't believe our baby will be here soon… we haven't even set everything up, yet…" Violet suddenly sat up, at that realization. "We didn't buy anything, or think about names! Or-"

"Please, lay back down. Don't worry about it. Everything will be taken care of," Sebastian reassured.

A moment later, a doctor came in.

"Alright, Mrs. Michaelis. We're going to prep you for surgery now, and-"

"Surgery?! For what?" Violet asked. "No no no, I'm in labor, I'm not here to have surgery or anything…"

The doctor chuckled. "You didn't read the book, did you?"

Violet rolled her eyes. _WHY didn't I finish reading the book?_

* * *

Ciel, followed by Matthew and Miranda, trailed by Charles, walked through the hospital hallway and approached the information desk.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Violet Michaelis," Ciel said to the lady behind the desk.

"Michaelis… fourth floor, maternity," she replied.

Once they got to the fourth floor, they found Sebastian standing at a giant window, looking into the nursery full of newborn babies.

"Charles, will you bring your parents into that waiting room? I need to talk to Sebastian for a moment." Charles nodded and led Matthew and Miranda off to the waiting room in the opposite direction. "Sebastian," Ciel said in greeting, walking up next to him. He looked over all the tiny bundles in bassinets. "Which one is yours?"

"Hmm? Oh, none of them, yet. Violet is still in surgery. It shouldn't be long, now, though," he said, looking slightly anxious.

"You're nervous," Ciel stated, observing his expression.

Sebastian nodded. "I've been around plenty of children, but the thought of having my own child to look after is quite terrifying. I never imagined myself as a parental type. I always seemed to know what it was my master needed, but how does that work with such a tiny being who can't even talk?"

"You'll know," Ciel said. "Your parental instincts will tell you. As soon as you hold that baby for the first time, you'll understand. With my first son, I was terrified, too. I was worried that I wouldn't be a good father, that I would somehow mess up or hurt him on accident. But it was much easier than I thought." Then he turned to Sebastian. "This is the luckiest kid in the world, if you ask me. If it's any indication how you've looked after me over the years, I'd say you're going to be one _hell_ of a father."

"My lord… thank you for those words. I-"

"Michaelis?" A nurse came out into the hallway. When she saw Sebastian, she smiled. "Would you like to come meet your new baby?"

Ciel gave Sebastian a small, encouraging shove. "Go on, demon."

Sebastian followed the nurse into the room, where Violet was propped up in bed, a tiny blanketed bundle in her arms.

"So, dad, what do you want to name your daughter?" she asked with a smile.

He moved to her side and looked down at the little face of their daughter. She yawned, and her eyes opened. She studied her father's face for a moment, then smiled, revealing tiny sharp teeth.

"She has my eyes," he said, noticing the deep red color of her sparkling eyes.

"Here, wanna hold her?" Violet asked, sitting up and carefully placing her in his arms. "Oh, be careful though… don't put your fingers near her mouth… I already made that mistake, before I realized demon babies are born with a full mouth of teeth."

Sebastian chuckled. "You should have-"

"Read the book, I know," Violet finished.

"You already bit your mother, did you? That wasn't very nice," Sebastian said softly to the baby. "You shouldn't bite your parents, no no." The baby giggled and burbled in response. "You need a name, don't you?" He looked to Violet. "How about Lilith?"

"Hmm… first wife of Adam, was actually a demon? Of course."

"Well… Miss Lilith Michaelis… no man will ever get close enough to _you_ to marry you."

Violet rolled her eyes. "It's a bit soon to be worrying about that, don't you think?"

Just then, the nurse came back in. "Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Stilles is here to register your daughter."

Sebastian's eyes flashed as the nurse left the room, and Mr. Stilles entered.

"We, I'll be a son of a bitch, Mr. Michaelis. You work fast, don't you? Seems like it was just yesterday you two were visiting to register your wife. How have…" Mr. Stilles trailed off, noticing the anger in Sebastian's eyes.

"Here, darling, please take Lilith. I have some business I need to handle," he growled, placing their daughter back in Violet's arms.

"What's this about?" Mr. Stilles asked nervously as Sebastian backed him out of the room.

"Oof, daddy's mad," Violet said to Lilith as the door closed. "Cuz Mr. Stilles is a dirty rat!"

* * *

"You're one of the St. Francis snitches," Sebastian growled. "Your treachery almost got my wife and daughter taken from me. I am not okay with that."

"What are you-? Who told you-?" Mr. Stilles stammered, backing up into a wall.

"We figured it out, you fool," Ciel said, appearing from the waiting room. Charles, Matthew, and Miranda followed.

"I, I never- Matthew? Miranda? What are you doing here- I mean, I thought you were-"

"Give it up, Stilles. We know how you set everything up. Your conspiracy with the Bradfords, your little double life as the St. Francis cult leader and the assistant to Lucifer…" said Matthew.

"Not to mention, your attempts to get Carol and I to join your tirade against our own family," came a new voice. Leon and Carol emerged from the hallway leading to the elevators. "I've never seen such a pathetic excuse of a demon."

"Leon! I- that was never my intention-"

"Your game is over," said Charles, a dark fog swirling around him.

"I think we need to show this man the true Phantomhive hospitality all the way to Lucifer's doorstep." Ciel said with a smirk, jabbing his cane into the man's stomach. "Let's go."

Charles turned to Sebastian. "You stay with Violet. We'll be back in a little bit."

Sebastian nodded as Charles joined the mob in their march to take the trash out.


	32. A Family?

*** Sooo there's only going to be three or four more chapters of this story! I wanted to try to make it at least 50 chapters, but then I realized I think it would be best to end it on Violet's 18th birthday, then have the sequel pick of from there, or maybe a few years after it. Plus, I'm getting a little confused with the continuity of this storyline, since I've had to take so much out, so I think it would be best to end it soon and start the next part.**

 **ALSO was wondering, should I do the prequel first, or the sequel? I feel like the prequel would be next... but I dunno yet. Thanks for all the reviews and follows/favorites! :) ***

Sebastian went back into the room where Violet and Lilith were.

"You look rather pleased with yourself," Violet laughed, noticing his expression.

"Everyone is showing Stilles the true Phantomhive hospitality all the way to Lucifer," he smirked. "They'll be back in a while." Sebastian sat down next to Violet and kissed her forehead. "How are you feeling, love?"

"A lot better. The incision is pretty much healed, by now. Still hurts a little bit, but not too bad," she replied. "Wonder when we can go home?"

"I was told we can leave in the morning. It's just procedure to keep mom and baby for at least twelve hours," Sebastian said, looking lovingly upon his daughter, who had fallen asleep.

"You want to take her? I need to get up and walk around a bit," Violet said, realizing she had been laying in that bed a bit too long for her liking.

"Of course," Sebastian obliged, taking Lilith into his arms and helping Violet up.

Violet located her clothes that she had been wearing earlier, which had been freshly laundered, and changed into them. They were slightly baggy on her, now that her belly was shrinking. She turned to the side and examined herself in the mirror on the door.

"Wow… I swear I'm already almost down to my pre-pregnancy weight," she said, pulling her shirt up to check out her stomach. "DAMN I love demon genetics."

Sebastian chuckled from the armchair he was in. "So, this experience hasn't scared you off from having any more children?"

"Nah… but next time, I'm gonna read the whole book…"

* * *

Violet wandered the halls of the maternity floor, then decided to go down to the main floor and step outside for some fresh air. There was a crystal garden in the courtyard, so she went out there and admired the beautiful clusters of various types of crystals, some of which she had never even seen before. There was also a small stream of sparkling, clear water running through, and a couple little waterfalls. Odd trees and flowers were scattered everywhere, but the scent coming from them was soothing and sweet.

After making a few laps around the walking path, she went back in and started towards the elevators, when she noticed her brother and Ciel entering from the other side of the lobby with Carol and Leon behind them… and her parents.

 _What are they doing here? It was true then-!_

Violet quickly ducked down a hallway and hid around the corner, waiting to hear everyone get into an elevator. After hearing the door close, she started around the corner, only to come face to face with Ciel.

"Dammit, Ciel, what the fuck?" she exclaimed, startled by the near collision.

"Why are you hiding?" he asked, unphased by her use of profanity.

"I- I wasn't hiding," she said. "Just taking a walk."

Ciel looked behind her. "Taking a walk to the morgue? That's dark, even for a demon."

Violet looked behind her and saw the sign on the wall that read 'Morgue', with an arrow pointing down the hall.

"Well… I dunno, I'm just wandering around," she shrugged.

"Right," Ciel said, rolling his eyes. "If you're done 'wandering around', I'd like it if you would come back upstairs. We have some things to go over."

With that, he turned and started walking away, but Violet stopped him.

"Ciel, wait… you… my parents… they're here?"

"Yes. We were going to make a visit to your house, but Sebastian called and said you were on the way here, so we came here instead. Your brother and I practically had to force them to."

 _They didn't want to see me? After all these years?_

"What do you mean?" Violet asked.

"They were very hesitant to see you," Ciel said as they made their way to the elevators. "Probably because they feel guilty and don't know how to explain everything."

 _Well, they're_ gonna _explain_ , she thought, feeling a bit angry.

Carol, Leon, Charles, and her parents were all in the room, fussing over Lilith when they arrived, while Sebastian stood nearby proudly. Ciel cleared his throat once they stepped in.

"Matthew, Miranda," he said, getting their attention. They slowly turned around, looking both apologetic and overjoyed once they saw Violet.

"Violet," Miranda said, her eyes becoming teary. She immediately approached her and pulled Violet into a hug.

Normally, Violet would be sharing such emotions over this reunion, but knowing they hadn't even wanted to come to the hospital still stung her, so she just stood there, her face emotionless. Her father must have noticed. He approached her after her mother pulled away.

"I understand. We have some explaining to do," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Violet nodded. "Yeh… that would be nice."

* * *

After bringing Lilith to the nursery, everyone moved to a gathering room down the hall to talk. Sebastian sat next to Violet, while Matthew and Miranda sat across from them. Carol and Leon sat off to one side, while Charles and Ciel sat on the other side.

"First off, Violet, I want to apologize for keeping such a secret from you," Ciel started. "And I know everyone else in the room feels the same way." Violet glanced at Sebastian in shock, but Ciel quickly clarified. "Sebastian didn't know, so don't be mad at him. As for the rest of us, we all knew."

"Well, _we_ didn't know the whole time," said Carol.

"Oh, that's right. It would have been too dangerous," Ciel said. "No telling whether you two would be infiltrated by St. Francis. It wouldn't have been difficult for them to get that information out of you, using the right means."

"We dropped in to th

e manor in the mountains last week, as we'd heard they were staying there. We didn't know what to expect, whether you still lived with them or not," Miranda said to Violet. "Once they explained what was going on, they insisted we stay there for the week, just in case there were any St. Francis agents nearby."

"Tonight, we determined it was safe to visit Ciel at headquarters," Matthew said. "And… now we're here."

"Ciel said you didn't even want to come," Violet said, finally finding her voice.

"It's not that we didn't want to… we just thought the timing wasn't right, since you were here to have a baby," her mother said. "It seemed like too much."

"Young master isn't one to put off important business," Sebastian smirked, casting a glance at Ciel. "One could be a thread near death, and he'd show up to discuss an idea for a new Funtom line."

Ciel shot a glare at Sebastian. "This is considerably more important than toys and sweets," he said. Then he turned to her parents. "Anyway, I believe Violet would like to know why you two had to fake your own deaths and put her through such emotional turmoil for the last 15 years."

Matthew took a deep breath and nodded.

"Violet… we feel horrible for having to do it, but it was the only way," he said. "There were a lot of things going on, and we didn't want you two to be exposed to it."

"But Charles knew," Violet said.

"He only knew because he was spending so much time with Ciel," Miranda said. "And as the oldest of our children, he was also the executor of our estate. He needed to be aware of how things were to be handled."

"He was only ten," Violet said. "How could he manage that?"

"Under close instruction from Ciel," Miranda explained. "Not to mention, he was always very smart and mature for his age. Plus, it was better to have him know the circumstances, so he could keep a closer eye on you, along with Sebastian."

"We knew there was no way anyone could get any information out of him," Matthew said. "Admittedly, it was a major responsibility for him to take on. But being a Phantomhive carries such weight. It was the only way we could fix things after trusting a man we thought was our friend."

"Stilles…? So, what did he have to do with all of this, anyway? Besides being a rat…" Violet wondered.

"Stilles was our driver, back then, while he was only doing part time work for Lucifer. A couple nights before the accident, he alerted us of a planned attack by St. Francis. The meeting we were going to was supposedly full of planted agents. Of course, we believed him, thinking he was on our side. We couldn't just cancel the meeting, because they would have come to our home and possibly killed you and Charles, as well as us," Matthew explained. "No matter what we thought of, nothing would have prevented it… we had to fake our own deaths on the way to the meeting. It was the only way to protect you and your brother."

"Why is he such a bad guy after he informed you of what was going to happen?" Violet asked, still feeling irritated.

"Sure, he told us," Matthew went on. "But it was a lie. There was never even a meeting. He did give us the serum that would put us in a suspended state that mimics death. But he didn't do it to help us. He did it to get us out of the way for St. Francis. Stilles knew that we would never let them get a hold of you. But he didn't know that it would still be a challenge, even with us gone. He knew he was limited on time, as the serum only lasts so long, about fifteen years…"

"Fifteen years is kind of a long time…" Violet said pointedly.

"Well, yes, but has he succeeded in obtaining what he was after?" Miranda asked.

"I guess not," Violet replied.

"He told us it was only supposed to last a year or so, but that was a lie, too. There was a guy he had a connection to who developed all kinds of serums. Some were helpful, some were used for the wrong reasons," Miranda said.

"Once he saw how difficult it was going to be, he commissioned the Bradfords for assistance. First with Abby, then they attempted to get Leon and Carol to make you more accessible by sending Sebastian away. They tried to convince Leon that it was damaging to you to have a male serving you so closely," Matthew said. "In reality, they were trying to get rid of him because of the contract. Stilles was aware of the mark, obviously, as we had to register you under the family name in the underworld."

Violet nodded. "Abby said St. Francis is trying to keep us from taking over as rulers of hell because of the trait. It would make us undefeatable, and they would never be able to destroy the underworld."

"Exactly. And since Stilles was the leader of St. Francis, it was all up to him to prevent it any way he could. Unfortunately for him, he's being banished to one of the lowest rings of hell as we speak," Matthew stated.

"How Stilles was able to pull off his double-agent act with Lucifer is beyond me," Miranda remarked.

"It's been him all along…" Violet thought out loud. "And he was right in front of us. So, this whole ongoing war has been about the trait the entire time?"

"There have been several different reasons over the years. But yes, that is the current reason. St. Francis has nothing better to do than meddle with the family that is the biggest threat to them, which is ours. They knew we can end them. We tried on countless occasions to make peace, but they are determined to wipe out the existence of hell. They won't listen to the reasoning that it would be a bad idea. So now, we must wipe them out," Matthew said.

"Yes, it is rather troubling, when you think about it," Ciel said.

"Wait… okay, if you weren't really dead… were you even buried at the grave site Carol directed me to?" Violet asked.

"No. We were kept in a family-owned facility," Miranda said. "It was created for situations like this."

"Then why couldn't I visit it until after my 17th birthday, last year?"

"There were no cover-ups, with that one. St. Francis agents kept an eye on it for a long time, hoping you would visit. It really was dangerous," Charles said.

"Well, with Stilles gone, this whole thing should be over now… right?" Violet asked hopefully.

"The battle may not be over yet," Ciel said. "We have yet to take the Bradfords down, along with Abby and whoever else has been involved in this conspiricy."

"I'm ready for it," Violet said, glancing across the hall at the nursery. "Our daughter isn't going to grow up in the middle of all this shit."

"The main man has been taken down. The rest should be easy," Sebastian added optimistically, placing a hand on Violet's.

"I have a feeling we should come up with a plan to finish it, after we leave the hospital. The sooner we end it, the sooner we can focus on more important things," Violet said.

"Like what?" Ciel inquired, standing up.

"Like the wedding we've been planning… and Lilith," Violet said, feeling much lighter and happier now that everything had been clarified.

"I agree. Let's finish this so we can get back to our lives and repairing the damage that's been done," Charles added.

"We'll fight," Carol spoke up.

"As will we," Miranda said.

"I'm ready," Ciel said, looking determined.

Sebastian cleared his throat. "I'll allow you all to assist in weakening them. But, as per the contract, I must be the one to see them to their demise."

"That's rather optimistic of you. You think you can manage it by yourself? Even after they're knocked down a few pegs, it could still be one hell of a fight," Leon said.

"True, but… I'm simply one _hell_ of a butler," Sebastian smirked.

Violet rolled her eyes, but couldn't help laughing at this.


	33. Plans and No Plans

*** I'm sorry for the long wait. Had some things I needed to handle. Also had to switch text editors, and ran into some complications with compatibility. But let us continue on, yes? :) ***

The next morning, Sebastian led Violet, who carried Lilith, up the walkway to their home. Finny, Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Tanaka were all standing at the top of the stairs outside the door.

"Welcome home!" they cheered, as they tossed confetti and set off party poppers.

Violet laughed as bits of shiny foil rained down around them. Sebastian even smiled a bit, but it was short-lived, as he looked distastefully at the sparkling mess on the ground.

"You know-" he started, but Violet put a finger to his lips.

"Let it go this time," she said, smirking as she watched the inner battle of her husband. "You aren't a butler today… you're a new dad who is going to enjoy the first night as such with his wife and daughter."

She removed her finger from his lips and gave him a quick kiss. Sebastian grinned and closed his eyes. "Of course, my darling." Following her through the door, he paused. "Please clean that up," he said quietly to Finny, who nodded.

As soon as they entered the foyer, Mey-Rin rushed over to Violet to fuss over Lilith, followed by Finny and Bard. Tanaka stood nearby with his tea, contently watching the scene.

"She's so cute!" Mey-Rin squealed. "An' lookit those eyes, I bet they can see for miles! I could train her in to be a top-grade sniper, yes!"

"And she's so small!" added Finny. "But I could teach her how to be stronger than anyone would ever imagine! No one would mess with her, even when we're not around!"

"Hmm… this one's gonna be trouble," Bard said. "Especially after uncle Baldroy shows her how to use a flamethrower. That'll keep the boys away for sure."

"Oh- ahm..." Violet's eyes were wide as she looked to Sebastian, who looked both amused and worried. Before he could say anything though, Tanaka was approaching them, in his full human form.

"You blithering fools, this child will need no such training. Just look at who her parents are. Her bloodline is the strongest of the Phantomhive lineage yet," he said in his wise old voice, as he stood in front of Violet, looking down at the small bundle in her arms. "I daresay, great things will come from this one. I can sense it. The ugly war this family has been facing for generations is soon to be over."

Violet glanced at Sebastian again, then turned back to Tanaka to ask what he meant, but Tanaka had already deflated back into chibi form and moved back to the sidelines with his tea. Lilith yawned and started to drift off to sleep, in spite of all the conversation going on around her.

"I suppose we'd better bring our little demon spawn up to her nursery so you both can get some rest," Sebastian said, guiding her towards the stairs.

Violet gave him a look, then realized he technically was right… _She_ is _the product of two demons, after all…_ so she just chuckled and nodded.

"Thank you for the little welcome home party," Violet said to everyone. "We'll have to continue it tomorrow or something."

The servants all agreed and scattered off to their various stations. Violet followed Sebastian up the stairs to the nursery, but she realized something on the way.

"Wait… Sebastian, we didn't get everything set up… we didn't even finish painting."

They stopped in front of the door to the room that would be Lilith's room.

"I told you, darling, everything would be taken care of," he replied calmly, opening the door to reveal a perfectly finished nursery.

Violet gasped. "What…? Did you do this, or…?"

"I had some spare time," Sebastian smirked as he watched Violet look around in awe.

"But… between the time you got home last night and told me about my parents, and then we left for the hospital… I just don't see how…"

Sebastian chuckled. "I'm surprised you even question such a thing."

Violet brought Lilith over to the crib and carefully put her down in it. The little one fussed briefly, but went back to sleep in no time. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Violet's waist from behind and they both looked down at their daughter.

"Do you happen to know anything about what Tanaka meant?" she whispered to him.

"Hmm… I'm afraid I don't," he replied.

Sebastian lightly pulled Violet out of the room with him, closing the door behind them. They went to their own room and got comfortable on the bed.

"Everyone is going to be here tomorrow morning to go over our plan. Maybe he'll shed some light on it, then," Violet said, trying to push the puzzling statement out of her mind.

"Perhaps," Sebastian said. "For now, I want you to get some rest. I'll tend to Lilith when she wakes up."

After giving her a kiss, he pulled her closer so her head rested on his chest. Violet cuddled closer and closed her eyes, suddenly realizing she was more tired than she'd actually felt.

"By the way... I heard what you said to Finny on the way in," Violet said with a sheepish grin.

* * *

Violet rolled over to find that the spot next to her was empty.

 _Sebastian must be taking care of Lilith_ , she thought, rubbing her eyes. A glance at the clock told her it was close to 4am. _I've been sleeping for that long!? That like… 19 hours!_

She jumped out of bed and hurried to the nursery, but paused outside the door so she could be a little quieter. Peeking into the room, she didn't see Sebastian, and the crib appeared to be empty.

Not allowing herself to panic, Violet made her way downstairs, looking in a few other rooms on the way. _I wonder where they went? I don't think he'd take her out of the house yet…_

Once she was in the foyer, the scent of cleaning supplies made it quite obvious where her husband might be. She followed the corridor past the parlor and dining room and into the service area of the kitchen, where Mey-Rin, Finny, Baldroy, and Tanaka stood in a line, all looking rather sleepy. Indeed, Sebastian was in front of them, Lilith held in one arm, giving the lot their instructions.

"Now, we're hosting a _very_ important meeting this morning," Sebastian said. "And there is much to do. I've given you your assignments, and I expect them to be done by approximately 7am. This should allow enough time to complete your tasks without incident."

"Uhm… Mister Sebastian?" Mey-Rin spoke timidly, raising her hand slightly. "Do you really think we can get all of that done in three hours?"

Sebastian sighed. "Yes, I _know_ you _will_ get it all done in three hours. If any of you fail to do so, or cause so much as a minor disruption in the process due to a foolish attempt to cut corners, there will be dire consequences. I needn't reiterate how important this meeting is."

The servants nodded silently, looking quite nervous. With a stern look from Sebastian, everyone scattered off to start their duties. Pots and pans started flying as Bard took to the food preparations; Finny dashed out the back door, juggling various gardening tools; Mey-Rin disappeared into a cloud of dust and polish as she set off down an adjacent hallway; and Tanaka leisurely settled himself upon a stool in the corner, tea in hand.

Sebastian emerged from the kitchen with a satisfied smirk on his face. "And that is how it's done, my dear," he said to Lilith, who gurgled and giggled in response.

Violet felt her heart flutter, seeing him with his daughter. Even though she herself had grown up under his care, it still amazed her that such a powerful, sometimes scary and very evil being could be so gentle and loving.

"Showing our daughter the ropes of butler life?" Violet asked with a smile as Sebastian got closer.

"I figured it was at least something to amuse her. She wouldn't go back to sleep after her late night feeding, so I decided to carry her with me, much as I did with you when you were a little one," he replied, placing a kiss on Violet's forehead.

"Don't you think you were a little harsh on the gang, though?" she asked, amused.

"Of course not, it was all in fun," Sebastian said, an evil smile playing at his lips.

* * *

Carol, Leon, Miranda, Matthew, Ciel, Charles, and a few other associates arrived a little past 8am. Finny, Baldroy, Tanaka, and Mey-Rin were also in attendance. They were all sitting in the dining room at the large table. Lilith had gone back to sleep, so Violet had put her back in her crib before the meeting began.

"We've been informed of some slightly disturbing news," Ciel addressed everyone, sitting at the head of the dining room table. "Ian and Abby have disappeared. No one in their following knows where they've gone. They haven't heard a word from either since the day of our last encounter with them."

Violet thought for a moment. "Well… that's good though, right? Maybe they finally decided to call it quits."

"No, it isn't good. It's actually very bad. No one can track them, no one knows where they are or what they're doing. That gives them the upper hand, right now. They could attack any time."

"Maybe we should go to the village and start taking down whoever we can, and see if they'll show up?" Miranda suggested.

"That would only make matters worse. Besides, there's not much left in that village, besides a few bumbling stragglers who don't know what else to do," Ciel said.

"So… how do we proceed, then?" Leon asked, looking confused.

"I don't know."

"Well bloody hell, let's think of something! Isn't that why we're here?" Leon said, his face getting a bit red.

"This information was only confirmed to me this morning on my way here. Now that we know this, we'll have to take a step back again and stay on guard until we know how to proceed." Ciel took a sip of his tea and continued. "I think it would be wise if we all stayed in one location. That way, if they turn up, we'll all be here and ready to fight."

"We could go back up to the manor in the mountains," Carol suggested.

"No, we want them to come to the underworld. They'll be out of their territory, therefor less likely to win. We need to gain the advantage."

"Why don't you all stay here?" Violet asked. "We've got plenty of room."

"That may be the best idea, thank you," Ciel said with a nod.

The room was silent for a moment.

"Now what?" Leon asked.

"Now we wait."

* * *

That evening, after helping get everyone settled into their quarters, Violet and Mey-Rin decided to put Lilith in her stroller and go for a walk in the park. After a bit of contemplation, Ciel determined that it would be safe.

The 'sunset' painted the already-fiery sky an even more violent palate of reds, oranges, and pinks. Sebastian had gone on a mysterious errand (again), and refused to tell her anything of it (again).

"Maybe he's planning a surprise vacation or something for after the wedding!" Mey-Rin suggested, practically getting a nosebleed in the process.

"Maybe… but I don't think he'd be bothering with that. We did put the wedding on the back burner for now, until we destroy St. Francis," Violet replied.

"Oh… well, maybe he's investigating something for that. He probably doesn't want you to worry about him while he's gone."

Violet shrugged. "I doubt that, too. We're at a stalemate with that right now."

They arrived at the park and stayed on the walking path that goes all around it. They decided to take the path that leads into a slightly wooded area. Suddenly, Mey-Rin stopped, holding her arm out in front of Violet, causing her to stop as well.

"What is it?" Violet asked.

Mey-Rin was looking around slowly. "Eh… doesn't it seem kind of quiet around here?" she asked.

Violet looked around and listened, too. "Now that you mention it… it does."

The usually-populated park was completely desolate, besides them. There was a heavy silence in the air, save for the occasional rustle of the trees blowing in the breeze. Violet caught a chill, making her skin crawl. She scooped Lilith out of the stroller and held her close.

"Maybe we better head back," Violet said, glancing over at Mey-Rin, who nodded in agreement and took over pushing the stroller.

They turned around and started towards the main road again. Violet heard some commotion behind them, but didn't have time to react, as she was suddenly plunged into darkness as she felt Lilith being taken from her arms. The last thing she saw was Mey-Rin falling to the ground, as well.


	34. Update!

**Hey, all. I'm sorry for the slow updating. As I've mentioned, I've had to entirely reconstruct and rewrite the last several chapters due to a few discrepancies I thankfully caught. But, with that comes an unfortunate side effect... I've had major writer's block. I think it's because there's only two more chapters left, so I'm trying to make it exciting enough and make sure it ends on the proper note that will flow properly into the sequel/prequel. Sorry to leave y'all hanging, I'm really trying! I'm aiming to have an update by this weekend, if not earlier.**


	35. The Final Battle (?)

**Ah, okay all! Here's the new chapter! I know it moves quickly, but I'm honestly not partial to writing action scenes, so I do find myself trying to progress through them swiftly. Also, I don't know about you, but I don't really like reading the action scenes, either.**

 **Another note, the next chapter will be the final one, unless I end up figuring out anything to add on to it. I do have to start working on the next installment, after all :)**

Violet drifted in and out of consciousness as she and Mey-Rin lay side by side in the back of a van. Their hands and feet were bound together, preventing any sort of movement.

 _Where… where's Lilith?_

Violet managed to open her eyes and scan their surroundings, but couldn't see much in the dark. Panic washed over her just as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

When she woke again, they were chained against a wall in a small concrete room. Her thoughts immediately went back to her daughter.

"Mey-Rin… wake up!"

"Hmm…? Mister Sebastian… we can't, young mistress would be so angry..." Mey-Rin mumbled as a blush crept over her face, clearly still dreaming.

Violet suppressed a giggle, in spite of their situation, and shook the maid. "Mey-Rin! Wake up!"

"Huh!?" Mey-Rin's eyes shot open. "Oh… young mistress... I- I was- I mean, I didn't mean to-"

"Forget about that, right now… we have more pressing problems. I don't know where Lilith is… or where we are, for that matter..."

Mey-Rin looked around the dark room and shuddered after noticing the chains that restrained them. "Those rotten bastards have no idea who they're messing with, they don't."

"I have a feeling they do… I doubt this was a random abduction… I'm picking up a lot, right now… Lilith is here, she's not hurt… and… Sebastian is here!"

Mey-Rin gasped. "Do ya think he's here to rescue us?" she asked, really directed to no one, as her face grew red again.

"What kinda question is that? Of course he is..." Violet focused her energy into her ring. "I doubt he would track us down and..." She trailed off as they heard footsteps approaching outside the door. "That's gotta be him."

A chain rattled, then the door clicked open. A tall dark figure entered the room, then the torches on the walls were set ablaze.

"So glad you're finally awake, darling." Sebastian unlocked the chains that were restraining her, pulled her up so she was standing. Mey-Rin's chains were unlocked by some unseen force and fell to the ground, allowing her to get up, as well.

"Sebastian, sir, how did you manage to find us so quickly?"

"Perhaps we'd better be going. Everyone is waiting."

Ignoring Mey-Rins question, he led the way out of the room and down a hallway. Violet concluded that they were in some kind of basement.

"How long did it take you to find us? I don't even know how long we were knocked out for..." Violet said to Sebastian as they followed him. He remained silent.

 _What's his deal?_ she thought, wondering if he was mad at them for leaving the house in the first place.

They went up several stairs, turned down a few more corridors, and stopped in front of a large set of double doors. They could here people conversing quietly and rustling about on the other side. Then something occurred to Violet.

"Uhm… Sebastian…? Who's 'everyone'? And what are they waiting for? Also… where's our daughter?"

Sebastian said nothing still, while he pushed the doors open. The room fell silent as he led them both into a large cathedral. People were taking their seats in the benches that encircled the center of the room.

"Ehh… Miss Violet… something seems very odd about this situation," Mey-Rin whispered to her as they followed Sebastian past the rows of mysterious onlookers. Two dark figures had taken formation and were now trailing behind them.

"Don't be silly. Sebastian is here, he won't let anything happen to us. Maybe he's made some kind of deal with-" Violet was cut off by a loud gasp from Mey-Rin, who looked horrified as they finally reached the edge of the center of the room. She turned towards what had made Mey-Rin gasp, and was hardly able to contain a frightened yelp of her own.

Three hooded figures stood around a stone altar, which Sebastian was approaching. Abby stood at the head of the altar, an angry aura surrounding her. She looked pale and weak, like she was barely managing to stand. And there in the center of it, was Lilith.

Sebastian gave a bow to Abby before falling into formation with the hooded figures.

"Sebastian, what the f-" Violet started, feeling her blood burning white hot.

"Quiet, you!" Abby snapped suddenly, storming forward towards her. "This has gone on long enough! You will not disrupt this procession, if it means everyone in this room has to die!" She flung her arm out to the side, causing a razor-sharp feather to slice open one of the attendees' necks, who fell to the ground in a pool of blood. She turned back towards the altar. "Please begin the sacrifice."

Violet let out a vicious growl and charged forward, but stopped dead in her tracks and fell to her knees.

 _Why the fuck can't I shift?_

Abby smirked in amusement. "You'll find that you have no power, here."

Breathing heavily, Violet stood back up and headed towards the altar. "You underestimate the strength of a mother's love, demon or not."

"Well, in that case," Abby flicked her wrists, and chains flew out from one of the stone benches in the front, wrapped around Violet's legs, arms, and waist, then yanked her down. "You get a front row seat."

Violet struggled briefly against the restraints, then devised another plan, as Abby turned back to the hooded figures surrounding the altar.

 _There's obviously some kind of barrier around this place that won't allow any demons to shift,_ she thought. _Maybe if I concentrate, I can find a weakness in it and destroy it._

After quickly scanning over several other options in her mind, Violet decided it was the only one that could possibly yield any helpful results. Though she'd never actually attempted anything like this before, she focused intently, closed her eyes and raised her senses as high as they could possibly go. Before long, she had a visual of the barrier system in her mind. Several glowing layers of energy, in many different colors, were wrapped around the room they were in.

Once she had studied the composition of each layer, Violet realized something.

 _The energy of one of these layers is the same as Sebastian's… son of a bitch! I knew it! They've infiltrated him again… that's why I didn't sense anything off about him when he brought us up out of the basement. They've gotten better at hiding their control over him…_

Concentrating, and very carefully, she began to use her own energy to deconstruct the one that was masking her husband. Apparently, she wasn't being subtle enough.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Abby shouted.

Before Violet could open her eyes, she felt several sharp objects pierce through her. She opened her eyes to see blood streaming from each wound, where long silver feathers had impaled her. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. With a cough, she let her eyelids drop and once again (and more subtly) focused on dismantling the energy.

"Stop that immediately, or I'll do even more damage!" Abby threatened. Then she turned to the altar and gestured at the hooded figures. "On with it, now! Hurry up!"

The one in the middle started speaking in an odd language, brandishing the same dagger that had killed Sebastian. The others spoke as well, as they held candles. A greenish-blue glow formed above the altar, growing more intense with each word spoken. Abby glanced to Violet with a victorious smirk.

"It's already started. You can't change anything, now. Even if you could, you'd never be able to reach the altar in time," she said, as the leader of the hoods raised the dagger above Lilith, while their chants continued. "It's finally over, for your kind! Witness the dawn of a new era. One that will wipe out the entirety of the underworld and the filth that it has created on the surface world. A world where only the purest of souls survive… see your foul kingdom come crashing down before you burn to ash! Watch us laugh and celebrate a victory we've been after for centuries! Watch-"

"Watch as your plan fails again," came a calm voice, followed by a choking gurgle and a thud.

Violet smiled slightly as her eyes opened and immediately fell upon Sebastian, who had impaled the dagger-wielding hood with a rather sharp candle stand. The dagger began to drop towards their daughter, but Sebastian caught it and proceeded to decapitate the remaining hoods around the altar. Abby still hadn't turned around to see what was going on, but she looked as though she already knew. Her face was contorted into a deranged madness of defeat, her eye twitching.

By now, several of the attendees had started clearing out in a panic. The floor started shaking, the same blue-green glow shining through large cracks that formed in the concrete.

"You… will not… win this time!" Abby shouted, shooting into the air, her massive white-silver wings splaying out behind her. She flew in circles a couple times, spraying the razor-sharp feathers in all directions, then swooped down and snatched Lilith off the altar. "I'll do it myself!"

The dagger flew from Sebastian's hands and into Abby's. She raised it up and shouted something unintelligible before plunging it downwards towards the baby she held in her other arm. In a split second, Sebastian had shot up towards them to deflect the blade and take Lilith, but the sound of several gun shots rang out, causing the dagger to clatter to the ground. Sebastian landed next to Violet, with Lilith safely in his arms, and removed the chains that had been restraining her. Abby crashed to the ground in a whirlwind of feathers and blood.

Violet turned to see where the gunshots had come from. Mey-Rin stood halfway down the aisle, a gun in each hand, while Ciel and Charles stood behind her. Mey-Rin turned to Ciel, holding the guns out to him.

"Thank you, young master," she said, pulling her glasses from her apron pocket and putting them back over her eyes.

"You fools! Your bullets won't kill me!" Abby shrilled from the ground. In spite of this, she was having trouble moving. Her gown, which was once white, was now mostly stained red.

"Is that something you're sure about?" Ciel asked, walking towards her as he holstered the guns Mey-Rin had handed back to him. "These bullets were developed by the weapons and defense branch of Funtom… they're more lethal than the dagger you've been brandishing about."

Abby choked and coughed up blood. "You… won't… win…"

"We haven't lost," Ciel said simply. Then he turned to Sebastian. "Is everyone alright?"

"Of course," Sebastian replied.

"Let's be on our way, then. I've got a meeting in 45 minutes."

Ciel led the way down the aisle, followed by Charles, Sebastian, Violet, and Mey-Rin.

Once they found their way outside and into their SUV, they noticed the entire building started shaking.

"Might want to step on it, this place is going down," Ciel said in his usual bored tone.

The driver nodded and floored it. As they sped away, they turned to see the large mystery castle crumble to the ground, then get swallowed up by some unseen force, leaving no evidence of its existence.

"What the hell was that place?" Violet mumbled, not really expecting an answer from anyone.

"That was St. Francis' main headquarters. It's been indestructible up until today," Ciel said, leaning his head on his hand as he stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"Well done, everyone," Charles added, glancing at his pocket watch. "Young master, we will be back just in time for your meeting."

"Very well," Ciel replied.


End file.
